Scars
by Obsian Caetus
Summary: The scars were a reminder of the cost of failure, the price of victory, and the trophies of survival… but such wounds ran deeper than the flesh, echoing across time, drawing them together across the stars and through the fires of war. *NO LONGER BEING UPDATED! PLEASE CHECK OUT SCARS: NOVO FOR FUTURE UPDATES
1. Eden's Fall

_This is a redraft of the original Scars story I posted about a year or so ago, though had never finished it. I had lost my drive when I first started writing this but came back with renewed vigor. I'll be, attempting to, upload two chapters per update, unless a particular chapter ends up quite lengthy._

_As its previous incarnation, this story maintains an M-rating for language, sexual situations, and potentially uncomfortable and disturbing imagery. This FemShepard is named Laura, with the Sole Survivor service record and Spacer background. She is a (mostly) neutral alignment, though leans towards Paragon._

_Edit 1: I've gone back and re-edited all of the chapters to fix several grammatical errors that escaped my notice as well as expand upon some events without changing anything to the over-all story. I've also started changing up addressing the Commander as 'Shepard' when someone isn't directly speak to her, to avoid confusion with the similarities between Laura and Liara (in terms of length and letters, lol)_

* * *

_"This is Second Lieutenant Laura Shepard to SSV! We are under attack! I repeat, we are under assault and in need of immediate…"_

_Her cry for help was immediately cut off as a quake disabled the communications link-up, cutting the line dead. Debris rained down from the ceiling above as the building shook, the supports groaning under the stress, some even starting to buckle and snap with loud reports. Panic gripped her and Shepard simply fled, no orders to her men uttered from her lips as she ran out of the weakening building… only to be met by the gaping darkness of a Thresher Maw's hungry mouth…_

"Ah!" Shepard yelped as she shot up awake, nearly whacking her head on the glass of the sleep-tube.

It took a moment for Shepard to orient herself from waking from these nightmares… no, not nightmares but vivid memories. Even after all this time, all these years, she still remembered the attack on Akuze like it had happened yesterday. The scarring that marred a vast majority of the left side of her body itched in remembrance; the feel of acid eating through armor, flesh, and bone… she often wondered how and why she survived it. Exhausted, she shoved open the door and stepped out, feeling like hell. Sleep-tubes were not comfortable at all. She headed for her locker and got her

Commander Laura O. Shepard… the 'Commander' part was still a bit foreign to her. She had been serving in the Alliance Navy since she had turned eighteen, save for her discharge four years ago due to circumstances she'd rather not think about. Now, Laura found herself re-assigned to the position of Commander and, on top of that, made XO of the SSV Normandy, an experimental prototype stealth frigate sanctioned by the Alliance and the Council. Though Laura was grateful for the chance to prove herself once more and to over-come past mistakes, she couldn't think of any particular reason why anyone would afford her this opportunity… though she suspected Captain Anderson had something to do with her reinstatement. However, she couldn't complain too much… it felt good to be back in uniform.

After getting cleaned up, dressed, and grabbing a cup of coffee, Shepard headed for the Command deck to check on their progress to Eden Prime. The crew greeted her with 'Commander' when she passed by, dressed in her Alliance-standard Infiltrator suit. Days prior to the start of the mission, Shepard had familiarized herself with the ship's layouts and essential crew, though it was still eerie that she really couldn't 'feel' the ship. The frigate had been built around a massive engine; a marvel of human and turian engineering… but it made no sound or vibrations that could be felt anywhere but within the engine room itself. Shepard was used to ships having ambient noise from the systems that made it run, but the only thing that came close was idle conversation, the breathing of people nearby, and the hum of the displays.

The air on the Normandy as she was passing through CIC portion of the deck, she noticed Pressley at his station, chatting with a few crew members. She caught a few words as she passed, mostly complaints about the _'non-human'_ aboard the ship. Though the Council had helped with funding the SSV Normandy's construction, it was an Alliance vessel and her crew completely human… except for one. A turian named Nihlus had boarded the other day, just before they left the Citadel. Shepard didn't have any issues with the idea of working with an alien but she didn't know much about turians… aside from the fact the two were still a bit sore with each other after the First Contact War. Still… this turian was a bit different and his presence had everyone on edge.

"Commander." Kaiden greeted as Shepard walked onto the bridge, a bit surprised to see the turian standing there.

"Fifteen minutes to relay jump." Joker announced, focused on the controls and display before him.

Shepard glanced at the turian as she stood beside him. Though he didn't openly acknowledge her or even look at her, his mandibles twitched a little in a silent response to her being that. Shepard wasn't sure what to make of him or who he was aside from name. The markings on his face were not of any turian clan she knew of… but then there were so many, she'd be amazed if she could identify any of them. Shepard decided to distract herself by watching the approach to the mass relay through the ship's windows.

"Making the jump in five… four… three…" Joker counted down, Shepard instinctively bracing herself for the jolt of being thrown half-way across the galaxy in an instant.

However, as they hit the relay, there was only a minor shift in the Normandy but the ride continued to remain eerily smooth. The blur of light stopped seconds later and they were somewhere completely different, with different stars and planets. It still surprised Shepard just how far they could travel in so little time but then… she never had a head for understanding how all this tech work. She was just here for… whatever reason they needed her for. Shepard wasn't even sure what her role on this mission was.

"Everything looks solid. We're running under fifteen-hundred K." Joker announced after looking over all the read-outs as he piloted the ship to their destination.

"Fifteen-hundred K is good. Your captain will be pleased." Nihlus responded before turning and leaving the cockpit.

"Good?! GOOD?! What an asshole." Joker grouched loudly once Nihlus was out of earshot.

"Nihlus gave you a compliment and you're complaining Joker?" Kaiden noted incredulously.

Shepard tuned out the conversation for a few minutes, watching as Eden Prime slowly increased in size as they approached. She had heard of the colony but never been to it. Before, her assignments often took her to remote places and even after the fact, she never had much of a leisure or urge to travel about. Still, something about this arrangement seemed rather suspicious, since they were all being kept in the dark. Shake-down runs weren't usually this… tense.

"What do you think Commander? Having a SPECTRE on board is suspicious." Joker asked, snapping her attention back to the conversation between him and Kaiden.

"The Council has a right to protect their investment. They helped fund the Normandy's construction after all." Kaiden argued.

"Whatever he's here for, its likely need to know only so… don't go poking your nose in places it shouldn't be Joker. Everyone's on edge." Shepard retorted with a note of finality in her voice.

Before the conversation could continue, Captain Anderson called for Laura to meet him in the comm room. She wondered, for a moment, if this had something to do with Joker's suspicions. She hadn't talked much to Anderson since she was assigned to the ship, though he was someone she greatly respected. After giving Joker a final warning about causing trouble, she turned and left the bridge to head to the back of the CIC room. Pressley acknowledged her as she passed but she didn't stop to chat with him. However, she did stop when she came within earshot of the conversation Dr. Chakwas, the chief medical officer on the Normandy, was having with Corporal Jenkins and it sounded a bit heated.

"I seriously hope you're kidding, Corporal. Your idea of action often leads to me patching up bullet holes." Dr. Chakwas said disapprovingly.

"Come on, there's a SPECTRE on board! There's gotta be something more going on and this could finally be my chance to prove myself to the Alliance." Jenkins argued, seemingly quite excited with what's going on.

"Commander Shepard, could you talk some sense into him?" Dr. Chakwas asked when she noticed Shepard standing there.

"You should listen to Dr. Chakwas, Corporal. A soldier doesn't go looking for a fight." She retorted in annoyance.

"That's easy for you to say, Commander. You got to prove yourself on Akuze and…" Jenkins started, his voice faltering and face paling a little as it sunk in what he had just said.

Shepard idly brushed a strand of loose red hair over her left ear, grazing the smooth scaring on her face. She was acutely aware of Jenkins and Dr. Chakwas staring right at her. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, fixing the corporal with a very firm look.

"Believe me Corporal, combat isn't what they show you in the recruitment vids and movies. It's ugly and painful. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with Captain Anderson. Return to your duties." Shepard said, confusing herself and heading to the comm room behind them.

When she went inside, she found that Captain Anderson wasn't the one waiting for her, but the turian SPECTRE. He was staring at the monitor display, several windows and videos of Eden Prime on view. Like before, he didn't look at her directly or say anything in acknowledgment right away, only his mandibles flexing slightly.

"Commander Shepard. I wished to talk to you for a moment." Nihlus said, the thrum in his voice still a bit unsettling.

"Where's Captain Anderson? I thought he was going to be here." Shepard replied.

"He'll be here shortly. We have a moment to talk. Do you know anything about Eden Prime?" He continued, glancing at her.

"Never been near there. I typically don't visit colonies." Shepard replied.

"Hmm, interesting. Eden Prime's become a bit of a symbol for your people; one of beauty and proof of the Alliance's strength and resilience… but is it truly safe?" The turian continued, turning to fully face her.

Shepard was about to comment on his ominous question when Captain Anderson entered the comm room and started to explain. As suspected, this was not just a test run of the Normandy, but a covert operation. Shepard was mildly miffed she had been kept in the dark on the matter but she held her tongue. There would be time for complaints later.

"What's the payload we're picking up, Captain?" She asked, standing a bit stiffly.

"A construction crew uncovered a Prothean Beacon about a few weeks ago. Essentially, an ancient data cache that could contain new technologies… or weapons. The last time humanity made this kind of discovery, we jumped forward two-hundred years." Anderson explained, pulling up the briefing on the display.

Shepard knew what he was referring to; the famous archive ruins on Mars. That had dawn the start of the humanities next 'golden age'. Still, this was all arbitray as far as she was concerned. They had a goal and it seemed easy enough but she assumed the Alliance and Council were simply taking precautions. Prothean artifacts were extremely valuable. Captain Anderson continued on with the briefing, Nihlus remaining oddly silent through the whole thing.

"Aye Captain… but may I ask why the Council sent a SPECTRE as their representative instead of someone from C-SEC… no offense, Nihilus." Shepard asked, mildly curious when she noted Anderson and Nihlus exchange a look.

"Nihlus is here to scout you for the SPECTREs, Shepard." Anderson replied simply.

"Wait… what? Scout me for the SPECTREs? Who's hair-brained idea in Alliance brass was that's?" Shepard retorted incredulously, surprised by the announcement.

"I was the one who recommended you to the Council and assisted in convincing the Alliance to reinstate you before this assignment took place." The turian finally spoke up, his expression unreadable.

"You? Why would a turian nominate a human for the Council's exclusive military club? I was under the impression most turians are still a bit sore with us about the First Contact War."

"I am not like most turians, Laura Shepard. I see potential in your people… your kind would make a valuable addition to the SPECTREs and the Council in the coming future." He replied politely.

"Ok, but why me? There must have been dozens, if not hundreds, of better suited candidates than me." Shepard pressed, still confused by the turian's decision.

"Despite your blemished service record, Commander, I believe your skills are rare… and you intrigue me a bit. I think, with the proper guidance, you will be a great addition to the SPECTREs. Eden Prime will be one of several missions together, in which I will observe your abilities under a variety of shifting circumstances and situations." Nihlus replies, Anderson clearing his throat.

They finished the debriefing but Shepard was still having a hard time swallowing her SPECTRE candidacy. Of course, Anderson had explained that Shepard was, ultimately, being used as a political maneuver by Alliance brass in hopes of securing themselves a seat on the Council in the near future.

* * *

"This is just fucking fantastic. Nihlus is dead and geth have taken the entire colony." Shepard growled, kicking a crate furiously, not caring that she jammed her toes against the inside of her boot.

Nihlus's corpse lay before them, a puddle of dark blue blood under his head. Whoever had killed him had shot him in the back at very close range. Though she had known Nihlus for barely an hour, she knew the turian would not have let his guard down unless it was someone he knew and trusted… like this Saren SPECTRE the dock-worker claimed to have seen shoot him. With no other choice, they had to head to the dock to secure the beacon before the geth did. Why was another SPECTRE here and why would he turn on Nihlus? Shepard realized something didn't add up about this whole situation. The ship they saw earlier, the geth attacking a human colony… they needed to get to that beacon.

They took the supply tram to the docking bay, only to meet more geth forces. Luckily, they had caught them in the middle of setting up bombs to annihilate the entire colony… wipe away all trace. Shepard was quite familiar with tactics like this. Disabling the bombs were tricky but they managed to get all three disarmed despite all the fire fighting between her squad and the remaining geth forces. By the time they found the beacon, Saren was long gone. She swore silently, realizing that this mission was going to reflect badly on not just her, but Captain Anderson as well. Nihlus got killed… but at least they secured the Prothean beacon. The mission wasn't a complete waste.

"The beacon is secured and all geth forces neutralized. We're ready for extraction Captain. Unfortunately… we've had two casualties. Jenkins and SPECTRE Nihlus are both dead." Shepard reported over the comm channel.

"I expect a full report when you're back aboard the Normandy, Commander." Anderson replied.

She could hear the agitation in his voice before the line cut off. There was going to be a lot of paperwork and inquiries about this from the Council. She was still bothered by the report of Saren being on the colony but since she didn't actually see him… but the man claimed he saw two turians and this was a human colony. No turian should have been out here. It was a lot to think about.

"Commander! Alenko!" Ashley shouted in warning, snapping her to attention.

Shepard turned and found Alenko was caught in some sort of field, the beacon glowing and emitting some sort of high-frequency noise that had escaped her notice until now. Acting quickly, she lunged forward and grabbed him tightly around the waist, throwing all her weight and strength back and throwing him free… only to get caught in the field herself. She was, helplessly, dragged towards the beacon and then suddenly lifted off her feet. There was a heavy pressure on her chest and skull and her brain felt like it was on fire as something in the beacon triggered and connected with her.

A host of images flashed through her mind; voices spoken in an unknown language, screams, heat… pain. She could feel something burrowing under her skin, crawling, piercing… war and chaos and death as the beacon's message was burned into her as she felt a panic attack start, the memories surging forth. The two melded; Thresher Maws bursting through the ground, a nightmarish amalgamation of flesh and steel. Human screams mixed with the alien ones and her scar started to burn horribly. She screamed desperately… only to wake up in the med-bay, Dr. Chakwas by her side. She found herself being held down by both Kaiden and Ashley. She couldn't hear what Dr. Chakwas saying, adrenaline still coursing through her veins. Shepard wasn't even aware of the prick in her arms as she was given a mild sedative but her body, slowly, relaxed and she found herself a bit calmer.

"Laura… Laura, look at me." Dr. Chakwas said in a soft, calm voice, snapping her fingers to get the woman's attention.

"Huh? Where… what happened?" Shepard muttered as she looked at Dr. Chakwas, ears ringing and her skull feeling like it was trapped in a vice.

"You were knocked unconscious when the beacon exploded, Commander. It was my fault, I must have tripped a security field…" Kaiden replied sheepishly, her ire immediately turning on him.

"Dammit Alenko… you fucked the whole missing, augh!" Shepard snapped at him, wincing as the effort to put authoritative volume in her voice made her throat burn and her head throb in agony.

"Calm down Laura… and don't be so hard on Kaiden. Let me just…" Dr. Chakwas chided, forcing Shepard to lay back down but she was interrupted by the arrival of Captain Anderson. Despite her protests that Shepard wasn't in any condition to report yet, he made them all leave so it was just her and him, alone.

"What happened down there Laura?" He asked, voice stern but oddly quiet.

"Geth is what happened. They were all over the colony but Kaiden cocked up the entire mission by messing with the beacon like an idiot." Shepard grumbled in annoyance, wincing as she slowly sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"The beacon… I don't know, something happened. I saw visions of some kind. War maybe, but it was agony… my head feels like it's gonna split in half." She replied wearily, eyes squinted a bit.

"The beacon must have imprinted information onto your memories. This is something we must relay to the Council…"

"You can't be serious Anderson. What, are we going tell them, that I had nightmares? A hallucination? I'm already on thin ice here because of those exact things… let's not give them any more dirt to bury us under." She grumbled, pushing herself off the table and standing on shaky legs.

Anderson looked as if he was going to say something but he remained quiet as Shepard started to pace. He knew shew as right, given her past history… the Council would bury them under it if they spoke of 'visions' from the beacon. From their perspective, the mission would look like a total failure, even though the attack on Eden Prime had been completely unexpected. They failed to get results and one of their best SPECTREs was now dead. It did not look good.

"What about the sighting of Saren?" Anderson asked.

"Hear-say at best without any tangible proof he was there. I know a human can identify turian but I never saw him myself so… he might have been there, he might not have been. I think he killed Nihlus and lured the geth to Eden Prime for whatever reason but I don't have proof of it and we'll never have proof of it." Shepard retorted, her head still throbbing.

Dr. Chakwas barged back in, strongly urging Captain Anderson to leave so she could finish tending to the Commander, forcing the red-head to sit back down on the medical bed. After she finished her evaluation, she made Shepard take some pills to help calm her headache and racing pulse. Once she was confident that worst was over for the time being, Shepard was free to go.

"When we get back to the Citadel, I'll put in a request for some new medication for you, Laura. Will you be… ok for a few days?" Dr. Chakwas asked with concern.

"Maybe but when have I ever been 'just ok' since Akuze, Dr. Chakwas? You've seen the evaluations and reports before I was assigned. Do you think I'll ever be ok?" Shepard asked, rubbing at the back of her neck, glad that the headache was gone now and the ringing in her ears had stopped finally.

"I think there's still hope for you. Be sure to eat and get some rest." Dr. Chakwas ordered, shooing her out of the med-bay.

When Shepard left, she found Ashley in the mess, sitting at the table with a cup in front of her, looking just as frazzled and exhausted as Shepard felt. She figured the woman was going through a lot, having lost her squad and practically watching the colony being, figuratively, burned to the ground. She approached her, quietly clearing her throat to announce herself. Ashley looked up at her and gave the Commander a wane smile.

"Commander. I apologize if I don't salute you… feel like shit." She replied, taking as sip of coffee.

"Don't worry about it… I don't deserve it right now anyway. I'm sorry about your team, Gunny. Eden Prime was one hell of a mess." Shepard replied, taking the seat across from her.

"I don't think anyone expected the geth to show up. No one's seen them outside the, what do you call it? The Veil, for a long time. I don't understand why they would attack such a remote colony. There's nothing really of value, aside from those ruins, maybe." Ashley sighed, shoulders slumping.

"We're going to try to figure that out. The Council and Alliance are't going to be too happy but all I can ask is that you be honest in your reports about what happened." Shepard replied.

They talked for a bit longer before Shepard felt exhaustion getting to her and excused herself to get some shut eye. It had been a long day and she didn't want to think about what was going to happen once she was presented before the Council, with nothing to show for her attempted effort. Her career was off to a great restart.


	2. SPECTRE

_This and the last chapter are, mostly, exposition to lay the ground work for the story. I assume most would be familiar with the general story line and locations of Mass Effect, events in the story that aren't really 'affected' by this Shepard's back-story will be 'summarized' to keep the story moving forward._

_EDIT 1: Cleaned up some things with this re-write and clarified Shepard's time on the Citadel dealing with finding the data on Saren and her interaction with Sha'ira. I also re-ordered events so that they talk with Bar Valon first, then talk to Sha'ira, and then Wrex, Garrus, and Tali join in. Also changed up the events played out at Chora's Den… because I wanted to._

* * *

When they arrived on the Citadel, there was no time for shore-leave or catch a breath. Captain Anderson immediately had Shepard, Alenko, and Willims taken to Ambassador Udina's office. As she expected of a political kiss ass of the Alliance, Udina was not happy with the reports he had received from them about what had happened on Eden Prime. He didn't seem concerned that there had been an unsolicited attack on a human colony by the geth, only that Shepard had failed and, potentially, jeopardized her chances at joining the SPECTREs… which was the least of her personal concerns.

"This report about Saren being on the colony could hold merit. If he's gone rouge…" Udina started.

"It was just one eye witness who was lucky his laziness saved his arse. No one else saw Saren… just lots of geth that shouldn't have been there in the first place." Shepard retorted sourly, brow furrowed in agitation as she listened to the ambassador.

"I've already convinced the Council to hold a meeting on this accusations. Pray it goes better than your mission, Commander." He shot back at her with an air of superiority.

However, Shepard knew the meeting was going to go exactly as she thought it would. Without evidence, Udina's claims against Saren, who was in attendance via holo, were completely unfounded and the Council completely dismissed the baseless charges. However, Saren made a snide remark about Shepard's candidacy, which hit a nerve with Udina and he protested. Luckily, the Council agreed with him on that being a separate matter but the meeting was over… and a complete waste of time.

As they were leaving, however, Shepard and her small group came across two turians arguing. She recognized the one in blue C-SEC armor and blue markings on his face as Garrus. They had run into him on their way in. He was arguing with Executor Pallin, whom Shepard had met on occasion when she was re-instated and assigned to the Normandy.

"I just need a little more time Executor!" Garrus argued, obviously quite agitated.

"The matter is closed, Vakarian. I suggest you move on." The Executor retorted with a note of finality before turning his back to the turian and leaving.

"What was that about?" Kaiden asked as they watched the turian start to pace in agitation.

"Dunno. Let's find out." Shepard responded, walking towards him.

The turian noticed her approach and greeted her, though the way his mandibles were flexing and shaking. When she asked about what that conversation was about. Garrus had been tasked with investigating their claims on Saren being on Eden Prime but since there was so much secrecy and red tape associated with the missions and going ons of the SPECTREs, Garrus had not found evidence in time but he had found a lead that he had been following up on before the Executor shut him down. However, the Council had closed the matter so there was nothing to be done… and they had to get back to the Embassies to get chewed out by Udina for a few minutes more. When she brought up Garrus's lead, Udina's tune changed but his over-all attitude did not. He demanded that Shepard follow the lead and get whatever evidence might be lurking on the Citadel to use against Saren before it disappeared or was destroyed. He recommended they go see Harkin, an ex-CSEC officer who often hung out at Chora's Den. The name of that sleazy bar made Shepard cringe, since she knew what kind of crowd it attracted quite intimately. Captain Anderson recommended they see a volus by the name of Barla Von, a supposed agent of the Shadow Broker, who could easily find information pertaining to their lead. Either option sounded shady at best but Shepard didn't have a lot of options open to her.

Shepard decided to check on the volus information broker first, since his information would likely be more reliable than whatever Harkin had to say. Sure enough, Barla Von had reliable information and was more than happy to give it to them for free. Apparently, Saren had pissed off the Shadow Broker by converting one of his agents to work for him. A krogan bounty hunter had been hired and was, currently, being detained at the C-SEC headquarters. Though it led her no closer to what she was looking for, Shepard was grateful for the information all the same.

They left his offices and were passing by the Consort's building when the attendee at the door called out to Shepard by her name. Caught off-guard by that, Shepard stopped and turned her attention to her.

"Can I… help you?" She asked dubiously, wondering how the asari knew her name.

"Ah, it's not me specifically who is looking for you but Consort Sha'ira wished to see you. It is an interesting coincidence that you walked by, as I was about to get in touch with the human ambassador to inquire about your whereabouts on the Citadel." The young woman… at least she thought the asari was young, replied.

"The Consort wants to see you, Commander?" Kaiden asked a bit curiously.

"I guess… but I never set-up an appointment with her. Why does she want to see me now?" Shepard asked.

"I do not know. You would have to ask her yourself." The asari answered sweetly.

Deciding it wasn't worth debating and they were here anyway, she headed inside with Kaiden and Ashley, however when they approached her offices, Kaiden and Ashley were encouraged to stay behind. Sha'ira only wished to see Shepard and the Consort was all about discretion and privacy.

Unknown to the others, Shepard was actually quite familiar with Consort Sha'ira. She had 'sought' the consort's assistance a couple of years ago, at the persistent behest of a friend. She owed much to this particular asari though she had a clear line about where their relationship with each other was. The office was the same as ever and Sha'ira was where she always was, sitting at her desk. When the asari looked up to see her, a smile spread across her pale violet lips.

"Laura. I'm so glad you got my invitation." She greeted as she rose to her feet.

"Well, your doorman… lady, accosted me with your message so here I am. You have very strange timing as always, Sha'ira." Shepard replied, a little bemused.

"I'm glad you came. When I heard you had been reinstated to the Alliance and assigned a rather special project, I was quite pleased by your change of circumstance. I'm glad you continue to do better." Sha'ira replied, crossing the room to meet the human at the center.

"Thanks for your concern. Did you just call me here for a social visit then?" Shepard asked in curiosity.

"In part… I also have a favor to ask of you as well, if you're willing." The asari replied, reaching up and gently brushing her fingertips along the scarring covering her cheek.

Ever since the attack, Shepard had an aversion to letting anyone touch her scarring, even medical professionals. It had taken months of convincing before she even let Sha'ira touch her and even then, the touches were fleeting to avoid making her uncomfortable and/or anxious. The asari pulled her hand away a moment later, Shepard taking a slow breath to keep herself calm.

"Still sensitive?" Sha'ira asked.

"Mostly. So what is this favor you want? Keep in mind, it can't be anything illegal." Shepard asked, moving the topic elsewhere.

"Ah yes. I have a delicate matter with a… former client of mine that I could use your help with. He is a good man but he's taken my rejection of his affections rather hard and has… put me in an awkward position with another client." She explained.

"All matters with you are delicate, Sha'ira, especially when you break hearts." Shepard teased, earning a miffed look from the asari.

"Mock me while you can, Commander… but this one in particular is an old war veteran, a turian in fact. I thought perhaps, being a fellow soldier you'd be able to appeal to his sense of honor and dignity." Sha'ira.

"You think too highly of my negotiation skills, Sha'ira. I mostly just shoot people with a very big gun from a very long distance." Shepard teased, seemingly in a good mood about this.

"You find great amusement in me asking for your help, Laura. I'm not sure if this is a good sign or a matter of your psyche devolving into insanity." Sha'ira sniffed.

"I'm just taking advantage of an opportunity I will likely not get ever again. Don't be so sore about it Sha'ira, I'm not trying to insult you or your reputation."

Sha'ira chuckled and merely rolled her eyes. They talked for a bit longer before Shepard had to excuse herself to deal with more pressing matters. Sha'ira told her to drop by whenever she was able to handle the turian, who was hanging around Chora's Den, likely drinking his sorrows away. Shepard, briefly, had a grim thought of how she had been there not too long ago.

* * *

After helping Garrus out, they finally made some actual progress on finding this 'evidence' against Saren. Fist, who now worked for Saren instead of the Shadow Broker, had arranged an ambush for a quarian who claimed she had information against Saren and wanted to sell it in exchange for protection. She had been at the clinic a few hours ago to get patched up but left with no trace or indication of where she was going, which only left one option left; Chora's Den. Though she wasn't too fond of bounty hunters, Shepard had them swing by C-SEC again to check on the krogan. Luckily, he was still there, the officers just finishing up giving him his warning… not that the massive krogan seemed to care.

"What are you staring at, human?" He growled at her when he noticed Shepard's gaze.

"Your face obviously. Are you the bounty hunter hired by the Shadow Broker?" Shepard replied, swallowing a little but trying not to show any sort of nervousness.

"Heh, a human will a quad. That's a surprise. Fist is mine, human and I don't care whose colors you wear. You get in my way… I can't be held responsible for what happens." He growled at her, leaning close.

Shepard did not like people getting into her personal space and the krogan's breath wasn't what she wanted replacing her air. Her jaw tightened for a moment but she kept her cool. No need to get her skull crushed in by the krogan, since she was certain he'd have no qualms starting an incident right in the middle of C-SEC.

"I'm not here to get in your way. In fact, I'm after Fist… or, after someone that Fist is after. I don't see why we can't help each other out." Shepard pitched to him.

The krogan, whom she learned was named Wrex, listened and seemed quite receptive to the idea… though made it quite clear that Fist was his target and he had no interest in sharing the reward for the job. With everything sorted out, they headed for Chora's den. Shepard remembered she still had the favor for Sha'ira to deal with and hoped she'd have a moment to get that sorted out.

When they arrived, the place was rather calm… or at least, as calm as these types of places were. She could feel the bouncers watching them intently, though it was mostly focused on Wrex if she had to hazard a guess. He had been here earlier shouting threats at Fist so they weren't off to the greatest of starts. However, she managed to find Septimus at the back of the club, a bottle and shot glass on the table, rambling to himself. While her team spread out amongst the crowd to remain rather inconspicuous. She talked with him and managed to convince him what he was doing was stupid. He gave her some information to give to the elcor he embarrassed before lumbering off. She was surprised he was able to find the door in his condition but it seemed Sha'ira's little issue was now resolved.

When Shepard approached the bouncers blocking the door in the far back of Chora's Den, the pair didn't seem all that happy to deal with her. Luckily they were both human, people she could work with… maybe.

"Piss off, girlie." One of the bouncers growled, his dark skin laced with puckered scars across his right cheek.

"I just want to talk to Fist. I have a business proposition for him." She said in a relatively innocent voice.

"We saw you come in with that ugly krogan. Piss off if you don't wanna end up shot." The second bouncer threatened.

"Alright, I guess I'll have to let myself in." Shepard commented, earning confused looks from the pair of bouncers.

She slammed the first into the wall and grabbed the second one in head lock, hand over his mouth as she squeezed his neck in her arm to keep him from making noise as he struggled. Kaiden took care of the second man before he could recover, using his biotics to slam him against the wall a second time, knocking him out cold. Shepard dropped the first guard once his movements stopped. Wrex came lumbering into the hall with Ashley and Garrus, scowling at her.

"See? Quick and quiet." She commented.

"Feh, less exciting when it's not loud and messy." He complained.

They entered Fist's private office and nearly met more resistance, though it was just a few warehouse workers and Shepard convinced them to find work elsewhere. This left the way clear to the office itself but Fist was waiting for them with turrets. Close quarter fighting was Shepard's least favorite thing about her job but with Wrex, Garrus, Ashley, and Kaiden then, Fist had no chance. Before a final blow could be struck, Shepard managed to pin Fist to the floor, heel of her boot pressed into the bloody hole in his shoulder.

"Augh! Alright, alright! Fuck, I'll talk." Fist shouted in agony, writhing helplessly underneath her.

"Where's the quarian?" Shepard demanded.

"Little bitch wanted to meet the Shadow Broker himself. No one meets the Shadow Broker but she didn't know that so I set her up for an ambush in the back alleys." Fist explained, wincing and hissing each time Shepard's weight shifted.

"When?!"

"In a few minutes! You'll never make it in time!" Fist yelled as Shepard pressed down on his injury.

Satisfied this was the best she was gonna get out of him, she backed off and turned her back to him. She didn't need him anymore and now she was more concerned with reaching the quarian in time.

"So, you gonna lock me up at C-SEC or…" Fist started but he never got to finish as he was cut off by the sound of shotgun.

Shepard jumped at the sound, pulsing immediately jumping to a heightened pace. Everyone stared at Wrex as he holstered his gun on his back, meeting their gaze with a serious one. Shepard wasn't going to argue with him about it, Fist was his mark and she hadn't been given orders to arrest him but someone would have heard that. After rifling through his safe and desk for anything of use, Shepard and her team hurried out the back door to reach the back alleys. Luckily, they arrived just in time as the trap for the quarian was sprung. However, she hadn't expected her to handle herself so well. Once all of Saren's mercenaries were dead, the quarian was more than happy to hand over what she had found to the Council.

* * *

After hearing the recording and Councilor Tevos identifying the second voice as Matriarch Benezia, the Council unanimously revoked Saren's SPECTRE status, cutting him off from the Council's resources completely. A small victory but neither Shepard nor Udina were satisfied. He attacked a colony and nearly destroyed it. It wouldn't be long before he targeted another. However, Saren had taken refuge in the Terminus Systems; a realm of the galaxy the Council dare not tread for any reason. They weren't very sympathetic and kept circumventing Udina's demands. Though Udina wanted justice, Shepard was more interested in answering the 'why' Saren's attack had presented… as well as the purpose of that beacon on Eden Prime.

"You can't just let him run around unchecked! Send your fleets in, dammit!" Udina demanded, despite it being a wasted effort.

"A Council fleet would initiate a war with the Terminus Systems… a system none of us have any eagerness to provoke at any time, Ambassador. The Alliance is welcome to try however." Councilor Sparatus replied coldly, glaring down at Udina.

"However, the Ambassador has a point. If we do not attempt to apprehend Saren, it will reflect quite poorly on the SPECTREs and Council." Tevos pointed out.

"Don't you have agents you can send after him?" Shepard piped up with annoyance, arms crossed over her chest.

Everyone was quite for a moment, Tevos exchanging a look with the salarian councilor, though whatever passed between them seemed to have upset the turian. He protested, loudly, at first but after quietly talking amongst themselves, they seemed to come to a, reluctant, decision.

"A single agent with a specialized team could be sent covertly into the Terminus Systems to apprehend Saren." Tevos continued, looking directly at Shepard.

Shepard was actually quite surprised when they decided to initiate her into the SPECTREs. Suddenly, all eyes were on her as she took her oaths, since she really didn't have any choice to deny the proposition. It was a short ceremony, thankfully, but once she had their blessing, it dawned on her she didn't have a ship… and she doubted she was just going to be handed one.

Udina had a plan… however, the plan met kicking Captain Anderson off the Normandy. At first, Shepard protested the idea but Anderson convinced her to accept command of the vessel. It was the only ship that would suit their needs. She took the command post with grace and promised to bring Saren back in shackles… or a body bag.


	3. Damsel in Distress

_Had a bit of 'writing fever' so I knocked out a couple more chapters. A couple things about Liara's recruitment to the team have been modified._

_EDIT 1: This chapter remains, relatively, the same. I kinda shortened Therum so it's not so long winded and focuses more on the 'first-time' interactions with Liara. I'll also try to avoid confusing their names together as much as possible, since that was a common mistake in my writing. *facepalm_

* * *

"Oh, you've really done it this time Liara." The asari muttered to herself in defeat.

It had been three days since she had gotten herself trapped in this stasis field. She, honestly, hadn't expected anyone else to show up here but when that krogan arrived with geth in tow, she had to act fast. Luckily, she got the curtain barriers active but she also got herself caught in a secondary field that left her completely helpless… though that wasn't the worst of it. Three days without food, water, and soiling herself was taking its toll on her and Liara was certain she was going to die here.

She was snapped to alertness after half-dozing for a few hours. Someone was coming across the scaffolding and her first thought fell to the krogan and his geth that had camped out in the ruins, waiting for her to expire or the ruin's reserve power to run out… which the latter didn't seem likely. However, it wasn't the geth but a small team consisting of three humans, a turian, a scarred krogan, and a quarian. She stared at them in disbelief, wondering if she was starting to hallucinate but it was the leader that garnered the focus of her attention. She had seen humans before but none had struck her as vivid as the woman staring at her. She had a head of red hair and emerald-green eyes hardened by battle but filled with an engulfing sadness behind them. The left side of her face was scarred pretty badly. She recognized the symbol on her chest plate and that of the other two humans to be that of the System Alliance but why would they be here… and with a few aliens in tow as well?

"Dr. Liara T'Soni?" Laura asked, staring at the asari behind the barrier.

"Y-yes. I didn't think anyone would find me out here. Please, you have to help get me out. I've been trapped in this security field the last few days." Liara replied desperately, hope fluttering in her chest… at least she thought it was hope.

"We'll get you out of here Dr. T'Soni. Is there any other way into this structure?" Shepard asked after Tali gave her the 'no-go' on hacking through the ruin's systems.

"I… I don't know. This structure goes pretty deep. I… there might be." She stammered, disoriented.

"Alright just… sit tight. We'll find a way in." Shepard said, frowning a bit.

"O-ok. Oh! Wait! There's a krogan with geth here so… um… be careful." Liara called after them but they were already moving down to the lower levels.

The wait was agonizing. The field seemed to be neutralizing her own mass effect fields so she wasn't even able to use her biotics. Liara simply hung there, suspending a few inches above the floor. She was startled by the sound of fire-fighting from the bottom of the ruins, likely that team encountering more geth. Once the fire-fight calmed down, she waited with bated breath to see if they would come back but after a while… nothing. As the minutes dragged on, Liara began to wonder if the fight had gone badly for her would-be rescuers.

However, her questions and fears were answered when the building gave a giant shake and she could feel the entire site crack and shift. After a few minutes, the shocks quieted down and she heard the elevator behind her activate. She craned her neck to get a look behind her, wondering if it was the geth or the other team coming up. Luckily, it was the latter, with the red-headed human at the front. Liara drew the conclusion that she must be the team's leader. She ordered the quarian to get the security field down, but Liara knew what she had done to trigger it and instructed the quarian on turning it off without disrupting the barrier curtains. Once free, she fell to her feet and nearly collapsed from the exhaustion of not eating or drinking for several days but Laura caught her, steadying the asari.

"Are you alright Dr. T'Soni?" She asked, noticing the asari looked weak.

"I've been better but I'll be ok. Thank you for your help but… why are you on Therum?" Liara replied, trying to hide a faint blush.

"Well, seems we're here to rescue you Dr. T'Soni but I am actually a Councilor SPECTRE, here to find you with questions about your mother, Matriarch Benezia." Laura replied.

A human SPECTRE? When did that happen? She had been really out of touch with the rest of the galaxy in the past few years due to her work. Hearing her mother's name, on the other hand, brought up a lot of unpleasant thoughts but she hadn't spoken with her in a long time. She wasn't sure what she could tell this beautifully intimidating human but the way she was looking at her, she felt compelled to reply.

"Um, I'm not sure what I could tell you, because…" Liara started but didn't get to finish as the building let out a loud groan and started to shake.

With the volcano awakening and filling the air with the smell of sulfur, not to mention the ruins shaking apart, they had to get out. There wasn't time for questions or an interrogation; now was the time to escape. They rode the elevator to the top of the structure where they had come in but as soon as they reached it, the barrier curtains flickered off long enough to enable a squad of geth inside, led by a krogan battlemaster content with being buried alive with them if they didn't hand the asari over. Shepard, of course, refused and left with no other choice, a fight broke out among the chaos. The human shoved Liara behind one of the supports of the elevator to keep her shielded. Shepard found a place nearby to hunker down and pick off the sniper hanging out near the door as her squad dealt with the krogan and his forces.

However, so focused on her task she was that Shepard didn't notice the krogan had outflanked Wrex and was grabbing for the asari. Only Liara's scream amongst the chaos alerted her to trouble. Swearing under her breath, Shepard lunged from her spot and tried to pry the asari free but the krogan easily outmatched her in terms of physical strength and he had Liara between them like a shield. Left with little option, Shepard stepped around Liara and, throwing all her weight behind the effort, slammed her head into the krogans. Though the blow hurt her more than it did any sort of damage to the krogan's armored head crest, it stunned and surprised him enough to loosen his grip. Shepard, reeling, yanked Liara free but stumbled as her vision faded in and out of focus and she could hear ringing in her ears again. She barely saw the krogan round on her through the bloody haze of her vision but Ashley and Kaiden distracted him, effectively killing the krogan while Wrex shielded her just in case.

By the time the fighting stopped, the barrier curtains had completely failed and the building was making audible cracking sounds and the air was nearly full of sulfur so they ran… ran as fast as they could as the rocks tumbled down around them, metal bending and snapping like a violent storm. Luckily, they all made it outside and it felt good to breathe in fresh air. The Normandy was hovering over the entrance, prepared to evacuate them before the volcano exploded.

* * *

"You thought it was a good idea to head-butt a krogan in the middle of a fight? I'm amazed you didn't knock yourself unconscious Laura." Dr. Chakwas commented with a hint of amusement as she inspected the medigel over the injury.

"Ya… not my greatest idea." Shepard mumbled, a bit embarrassed though the injury hurt like hell and the swelling had given her another headache.

"Could have been worse I suppose. The krogan didn't tear your head off at least. Now, the swelling is going to persist for a couple of days but it should heal within a week, though you'll probably have a scar. The ribs should be fine in two weeks." Dr. Chakwas said, giving the cut a critical look.

"One more for the collection I suppose. Hurts like hell." Shepard complained.

Before Dr. Chawkas could make a humorous retort, Joker called Shepard over the intercom system, informing her that the Council was waiting for her report on the mission. Sighing with annoyance, Shepard got up and made her way to the comm room, still feeling a bit dizzy from the blow to her head. She was dressed in 'civ blues' as she called them, though it was a standard Alliance uniform for when one wasn't in armor… and didn't want to wear the formal attire ranking officers were expected to. Shepard wasn't one for pomp and ceremony… or politics. She, begrudgingly, met with the Council in the comm room, able to feel their disapproving glares even this far from the Citadel.

"What happened Shepard?" Tevos asked, breaking the momentary silence..

"Yes… what indeed. You destroyed a valuable Prothean ruin." The turian Councilor grumbled in annoyance.

"Well, Dr. T'Soni was the priority, not the ruin and there's not much I can do against a volcano, Councilor. Saren sent a krogan with a squad of geth to kill Dr. T'Soni… so destruction tends to be unavoidable when a krogan is involved but would you believe me if I expressed my sincerest apologies?" She retorted.

She caught the asari councilor smirking slightly as the turian growled, but the salarian interfered to keep them on track.

"How is Dr. T'Soni, Commander?" He asked calmly.

"A little worse for wear but alive. Dr. Chakwas is tending to her, so she is in good hands. However, when I managed to question her about Matriarch Benezia she did not seem aware of her mother's recent activities… hell, she didn't even believe I was a SPECTRE. I don't think she keeps up on current events much." Laura reported, purposely avoiding the turian.

"I see… still, we would like you to bring her back to the Citadel to be interrogated and investigated by C-SEC… just to be certain. It also seems that might be safest until we determine where her loyalties lie. Benezia may not be aware Saren sent assassins after her daughter." Tevos said with a note of finality.

"You think Saren and Benezia might be having a falling out?" Shepard asked, wondering if Teevos found out something.

"It is just an assumption… Benezia could also want her own daughter dead but for what purpose will elude us until Dr. T'Soni is properly questioned. We will have officers waiting to escort her after your arrival." The asari replied cryptically.

"Don't trust me to do my own interrogation is what I'm getting from this conversation but I suppose I have no choice but to comply. Is there anything else or can I go finish nursing my cracked ribs?" Laura grumbled sarcastically.

"Watch your tone Commander. Your SPECTRE status can easily be revoked… among other things." The Sparatus threatened.

"Go ahead but keep in mind I'm the only one cleaning up your mess here." Laura said before the communication line went quiet. "I hate politicians."

Liara was sitting in the medical storage room, which had been converted into a room for her to stay in. It felt nice to be in clean clothes and feel secure. The asari had been quite stunned by Dr. Chakwas knowledge but the woman was quite sweet to her and made sure she had everything she needed before letting her have some time for herself. She certainly didn't expect anyone to come see her but the human Commander, the red-head with the piercing green eyes, showed up unexpectedly.

"Dr. T'Soni. How are you feeling?" She asked, standing a bit stiffly with her arms held behind her back.

"I was… surprised with how knowledgeable Dr. Chakwas is about asari physiology. She assured me I'd be fine after a few days of rest and plenty of food. It is quite fortunate you showed up when you did, Commander."

"Laura… or Shepard. You don't have to call me by my rank, Dr. T'Soni. Are you settling in ok?" Shepard said, trying to be reassuring.

"A-alright, Shepard. I am settling in alright. Dr. Chakwas said I am welcome to use this room for as long as I am staying on the ship. Um… how long will I be here?" Liara replied nervously.

"That's actually why I wished to speak with you. The Council wants me to bring you to the Citadel to be… well, interrogated by C-SEC in regards to Matriarch Benezia's current activities and whereabouts." Shepard returned, deciding to be truthful about the asari's situation.

"I… see. So… um, does that mean I am under arrest?" Liara asked meekly.

"No. As far as I'm concerned, you're not a danger to the Normandy or her crew and until you prove otherwise, you are a guest on our ship and the crew will be expected to treat you as such so... if anyone gives you any trouble, just let me know." Shepard replied.

"That is… kind of you Commander. I confess, I'll probably not be leaving this room much. I… I'm not very good around people." Liara responded nervously, starting to wring her hands together.

Shepard noticed the tension in the asari and wondered if she was still in shock from what had transpired on Therum. With the news of her mother's recent activities and still getting over the fact she nearly died… that was usually overwhelm for most. She noted the asari looked quite young but, again, Shepard couldn't tell a maiden from a matriarch unless they had it tattooed across their foreheads… the dossier had been stupidly vague… likely on purpose. Shepard noted that Liara had very beautiful blue eyes, an innocent luster in them that she had seen snuffed out in so many, though the asari kept her gaze adverted a lot, a darker tint to her cheeks signaling a blush.

"I apologize, Dr. T'Soni. I don't mean to make you uneasy. If you'd like, I'll come back later…"

"No! I mean, no, it's ok. I'm just… a little shaken is all, Shepard. I… well, I'm not used to being ambushed on my digs. My work isn't really of any importance or value so it's just a bit… shocking." Liara replied, making a nervous laugh.

"What were you doing on Therum? I have to admit, the Council's dossier on you wasn't all that helpful, aside from the fact you are an archaeologist." Shepard replied curiously, trying to relax herself.

"Oh, well, I research the Protheans actually. No one takes my work seriously so that's probably why you didn't have much information. I've tried to publish my works but… well… I also prefer to work alone so I don't have many colleagues I associate with."

Liara seemed to perk up when the topic switched to her Prothean research but Shepard was a bit bothered by what she had just learned. First, the attack on a human colony that had just discovered a damaged Prothean beacon. Not a month later and Saren attempts to capture (or assassinate) a Prothean researcher who also just happens to be the daughter of his lieutenant. This had to be more than a coincidence… the Protheans were becoming a link. Despite the questions on the tip of her tongue, Shepard didn't feel comfortable voicing them to Liara. It might be overwhelming for the girl or she might have answers… or she could be working with Benezia. Though Shepard didn't think that last thought was very likely, it still paid to be cautious until she was more certain of this asari.

They idly chatted for a few moments more before Shepard politely excused herself and walked back out to the medbay. Dr. Chakwas looked up from her terminal and scowled slightly.

"You weren't interrogating that poor girl, were you Commander?" She asked in concern.

"No, I was just making sure she was alright. I'm not sure what to make of her yet." Shepard replied, cocking an eyebrow quizzical in response to the question.

"I see. So, what's going to happen with her?"

"The Council wants her brought back to the Citadel for interrogation, likely about Matriarch Benezia. I dunno if she's going to have much information. She's not a danger as far as I can tell."

Dr. Chakwas seemed satisfied with Shepard's reply and switched topics to how her condition was. Her ribs and face still ached a bit but over-all, she felt ok. Sleeping on a bed was still taking some adjustments but Shepard didn't mind her new accommodations. It was worlds better than a sleep tube. The memories and nightmares reawakened by the beacon had calmed somewhat but she still woke up in a sweat at times.

"I still don't understand why they reinstated me. My psyche and medical evaluations were enough to keep me from ever having an Alliance career again. I'm lucky I got back as much use of my left arm as I have... and that they didn't lock me up in the loony bin." Shepard grumbled, sitting down across from Dr. Chakwas now.

"Nihlus must have really thought you were the Alliance's best chance… and I suppose he was right. You have a great deal of resilience Shepard. What happened to you would have broken most." Dr. Chakwas replied, lounging back in her chair now.

"It did break me Dr. Chakwas. I was in a deep pile of shit just a couple years ago."

"You got better though. You recovered and grew stronger from it."

"I had help… a lot of help." Shepard sighed.

Dr. Chawkwas chuckled and smirked at Shepard, an action that confused her for a few moments as the conversation drifted off for a few moments. She adjusted how she was sitting to relieve the pressure on her ribs as soon as the ache started to get stronger, taking a slow breath.

"Liara seems like a sweet girl. I hope C-SEC won't be too hard on her. I, honestly, think she's a victim in all of this."

"Possibly, but we won't know until the Council is done with her. She's rather… different for an asari." Shepard replied thoughtfully.

"Oh? So are those rumors…" Dr. Chakwas teased.

"That's seriously going around still? God… I didn't have that kind of relationship with Ms. Ashan and I CERTAINLY did not fuck the Consort, not for lack of trying on her part." Shepard replied with a scowl.

"I was only teasing, Laura… besides, even if they were true, there's certainly nothing wrong with being associated with asari. Those two did a great deal for you."

"Ya… they did. I better get going… I still have to finish up some paper work. I hate being in command." Shepard sighed, carefully standing up.

"No rest for the wicked. I'll see you soon Commander."


	4. Demons

_Again, Liara's recruitment to the Normandy squad was modified because I felt it was a little odd how it went down... and I like this way better for this story. Again...still kinda skimming through the first part of the game but things will be more detailed when it comes to Feros and some of the involved side events from the game._

_EDIT 1: More clean-up and modifications for the most part. Because of the big shift in focus around how Shepard's nightmares affect her, the whole melding scene was changed and expanded upon._

* * *

Sitting through the interrogation was one of the most uncomfortable experiences she had but Shepard had been right, C-SEC had nothing connecting her to her mother's activities. Still, Liara was stunned to find her mom had betrayed her own morals and joined Saren. Her mother had never been violent but something must have given her cause to join the turian's side and that worried her. Her relationship with the Matriarch was rocky at best but… it was still her mother. However, she had nothing useful for the C-SEC officers to use in tracking down or understanding the situation with Saren and Matriarch Benezia and since she wasn't involved or guilty of breaking any inter-galactic laws, they let her go.

Liara was escorted back to the main lobby of the C-SEC offices and was surprised to see the human SPECTRE standing there, talking with a dark skinned human in an Alliance uniform. As soon as the red-head caught sight of the asari, she waved her over. The other human glanced at her and smiled before leaving when she was close.

"Dr. T'Soni. How did everything go?" Shepard asked a bit warmly.

"A-alright I suppose. I didn't really have anything more I could tell them that I already told you but… the Council likes to be thorough I suppose. They aren't charging me with anything, thankfully." Liara sighed.

"That's good. What do you plan on doing now?"

"Well… I don't know honestly. With Matriarch Benezia working with Saren… I could still be in danger. Therum was also supposed to be a long-term project but since that is no longer the case… I'm not sure what I'm going to do." Liara replied sadly as the realization sank in that she was stranded.

"I see. Well, perhaps you can assist me with something, Dr. T'Soni. I might actually need someone of your particular expertise to help me answer some questions I had involving my investigation of Saren's motives." Shepard offered to her, forcing a small smile.

"M-my expertise? I… well, I'm not sure what help I could be to you, Shepard. I honestly don't know anything else." Liara responded with confusion.

"I've got a… hunch let's say, about Saren's targets. Why don't we discuss this over lunch? I know a great fusion place on the north side of the Presidium."

* * *

"You… you found a working Prothean Beacon?!" Liara blurted out.

They were sitting at a windowed booth in the restaurant, drinks in front of them as they waited for their respective meals. Liara had been pleasantly surprised when Shepard had brought her to a café that specialized in blending human and asari cuisine. The red-headed human continued to be full of surprises for her. When they had gotten settled in, Shepard had brought her up to speed about what had lead up to these events, including the Prothean ruins on Eden Prime. Beacons were gold-mines of information and extremely rare… Liara couldn't help but feel a little jealous that this human before her had gotten to interface with it… the wonders it must have contained.

"A shame it was destroyed. I wonder what was stored in it." Liara sighed dreamily.

"Well, that's actually what I wanted your help with. I think Saren was after the beacon, not the colony. Has your research ever come across something called the 'Reapers'?" Shepard asked.

"No… the term isn't familiar but I've been collecting every scrap of Prothean history I can get my hands on and not all of it has been investigated thoroughly, why?" Liara asked curiously.

Shepard let out an annoyed sighed, stirring the straw in her drink. Again, the term 'Reaper' seemed to have no reference anywhere. She knew what it meant in human terminology but whatever it meant to Saren… it gave her a deep sense of dread whenever she thought about it and made her think about the screams in the vision. She shivered as a chill crawled down her spine.

"Are you ok?" Liara asked in concern.

"I'm fine. Damn… no one seems to know what that word means. Benezia mentioned it in the recording and every time I hear it or think about it since I touched that beacon, I get goosebumps. Anyway… what about something called a 'Conduit'?" Shepard replied, pressing the conversation forward.

"I'm sorry Shepard. Nothing in my research has turned up either of those terms so far."

"Fuck… I'm getting nowhere with this investigation and just trying to figure things out makes my head hurt." Shepard sighed, leaning back in her seat and staring out the window, brow furrowed.

"You think there's a connection between whatever Saren is after and the Protheans?" Liara concluded, her curiosity piqued.

"Like I said, it was a hunch. At first, I thought he had just attacked Eden Prime but he left by the time I got to the docks. He miscalculated and I stopped his geth from blowing up the colony; no one was supposed to find that beacon. I'm guessing he found some kind of Prothean weapon or something and is trying to find it. The beacon… the beacon has to be connected somehow but whatever the hell it put in my head makes no sense." Shepard sighed, lips curled down as her frustrations started to boil.

When their food arrived, the conversation turned into idle chatter and gossip. They learned a little about each other, though Liara wasn't sure if it would be appropriate to ask the human about her scarring… but she couldn't help but stare at it whenever the woman's attention was distracted. The pale skin was a sharp contrast to the deep, pink cream color of the human's normal skin tone and coupled with her vibrant red hair and deep emerald green eyes… Liara couldn't help but be moonstruck. However, once they were finished eating and the bill paid, the asari became acutely aware that this is where they would part ways.

"Thank you for the meal Shepard. This has been a… interesting experience but I suppose this is where we part ways." Liara said a bit sadly, having grown fascinated with the human… in a purely scientific way of course.

"I suppose but if my suspicions are right, I could use someone like you on my team. If this Reaper is some kind of Prothean device, well… I'm a soldier. I don't have the brains for this kind of stuff. Plus, you're the premiere expert on the Protheans so..." Laura offered, voice wavering slightly for some reason.

"M-me? I well… it would be a great opportunity. And, honestly, I thought of asking to join you because I… want to confront my mother. What she's doing makes no sense to me and even though we aren't close, I want to know why… from her."

Liara's voice shook as she spoke but when she felt Shepard's hand on her shoulder, she felt a bit reassured. Despite her rough exterior, the red-head had a soft heart underneath all that armor. Shepard told her she'd take care of the arrangements and put any equipment requests the asari needed could be placed with the quartermaster in the Normandy's storage bay. Liara was feeling giddy, like she usually did when going out on a new dig but this wasn't another one of her trips… this was going into unimaginable danger. She had had military training, as all asari are required but she hadn't held a gun since then nor been in any violent combat situations until Therum. However, the way Shepard had looked at her inspired enough confidence to try.

* * *

"Alright, so some of you know what the goal of our mission is but not why…. And this just isn't because Saren targeted a human colony. He was after that beacon for a reason and I think it has something to do with these Reapers."

Shepard had gathered her crew into the CIC room for a debriefing and to discuss their next course of action. They had two new leads; an Exo-Geni research colony on Feros, named Zhu's Hope, had reported a geth invasion before all communication had been lost. Feros had a massive amount of Prothean ruins on it and Saren had sent troops there for a reason. There was also reports of Benezia on Noveria but Shepard wanted to put that off as long as possible. Matriarchs alone were powerful biotics but Benezia also had loyal commandos at her beck and call. Her team had to be properly prepared before taking her on.

"The Reapers? Aren't they just some myth? Plus, why's the asari aboard?" Ashley spoke up, interrupting.

"Dr. T'Soni will be joining us, primarily as a consultant." Shepard replied, giving Ashley a raised look in response.

"So, you think Saren's not just attacking colonies but is after something specific?" Kaiden piped up.

"That's the idea. Saren didn't count on us saving the colony, let alone one of us interfacing with the beacon. I think he needed whatever was on it but for what… I honestly can't say." Shepard replied with a stern nod of her head.

"Didn't you interface with it, Shepard?" Tali asked, all eyes suddenly back on Shepard.

"I did but… I can't make heads or tails of what it was. It's just a series of images for the most part, chaotic ones too. Whatever Saren needed… I can't see it. Which is why Liara is here. She's going to help us make sense of all this Prothean business and, hopefully, get the edge on Saren."

Thoughts of the vision made Shepard scowl pensively. It wasn't just the fact that imagery was vague and chaotic, it was also because it had meshed together with her own personal demons and it was very difficult to tell one from the other now… at last from her perspective. She wondered if Saren had a similar problem or if he was better equipped to get what he needed from the beacon. That thought alone, of Saren mocking her from the depths of the Traverse, putting his plans in motion while they fumbled in the darkness… her jaw tensed and she rolled her shoulders.

"I… might be able to help you understand the beacon's message, Shepard." Liara piped up meekly, biting her tongue as soon as everyone's attention focused on her.

"You mean look at it with a mind meld. Are you… certain you'd want to do that? I know that's kind of a personal thing for asari." Shepard replied, her response surprising Liara once again.

The idea of doing a meld was promising but Shepard suddenly because rather hesitant. The only asari to go poking around in her head had been Sha'ira and that was years ago. She hadn't done it since and she wasn't sure how skilled Liara was at it. Asari melding wasn't a matter to take lightly, given how highly intimate the experience was on a pyschological scale. Still… the idea had merit and it seemed worth the risk but there was that fear… that fear of exposing Liara to the demons contained inside.

"Well… I suppose we can try but only if you're comfortable with it, Dr. T'Soni." Shepard said, giving a small nod of her head.

Liara got to her feet and met the human in the center of the room. All eyes were on them both, some with curiosity and others with scrutiny. Shepard, gently, took Liara's hands in her own and gave her a wane smile. Liara felt her nerves getting the best of her, feeling the human's warm skin against her own but she shoved those distractions far from her mind and focused on what she intended to do. After both had calmed their breathing, Liara started to coach her through the process in a quiet voice that was only meant for the Commanders' ears. Giving a gentle squeeze of her hands, Shepard nodded her head slightly when she was ready.

"Embrace Eternity!"

The connection was a bit of a jolt, Shepard gasping in surprise as she felt her spine tingle, starting from her lower back to the back of her skull. It was difficult to explain the sensation beyond her nerves suddenly becoming extremely sensitive. She hadn't feel the weave of another consciousness and, out of reflex, she retreated away from it out of fear.

_Sorry. Been awhile since I've done this._ Shepard thought to Liara, forcing herself to calm down and relax so the asari could strengthen the connection.

_I… must admit, I've not done this with a human before._ Came the asari's shy reply.

A stray thought of 'virgin' passed through Shepard's mind and Liara gave her a quizzical 'feeling' in response. Shepard chose not to elaborate and focused more on guiding the asari to what she was looking for. Despite her best efforts, Shepard could not hide everything from the asari. The human's mind was such an alien thing to touch upon but Liara was utterly fascinated. It was like being in a quiet room but, occasionally, she would catch whispers from Shepard's sub-conscious, a stray thought here, a spike of emotion there. Liara had not had an experience like this before. However, beneath the silence, she could feel a strong amalgamation of pain, regret, and rage buried somewhere well out of her reach.

_I'm not sure what's going to happen so… brace yourself._ Shepard thought to her in warning as she willed for the beacon's message.

Liara squeezed the human's hands as the vision played around her. Everything was so hazy, she could only feel the most prominent emotions and that was chaos and fear. Whatever was happening, Liara couldn't make heads or tails of any notable details. No landmarks, no stars… just giant hazy black_things_ in a world that was completely out of focus… at least, most of it was out of focus.

Something was suddenly rushing this way, passing through the hazy figures as if they weren't there, well they weren't but whatever this thing was… it was an invader. Liara was suddenly filled with the sudden sense of dread and agony as the creature rushed and suddenly, the world came into focus but it was completely different. She saw a brief flash of human architecture before the scream made her head ring, the creature lunging with maw agape…

"Ah!" Liara gasped as she suddenly snapped awake.

It took a moment for Liara to realize she was in the med-bay, lying on one of the tables. Dr. Chakwas looked up at her form her desk and flashed her a relieved smile as she stood.

"I'm glad you're awake Liara. I was starting to get worried." She replied, checking the terminal by her bed.

"What… what happened? I remember being in the meeting with everyone and melding with Shepard…" She mumbled as she sat up, the ringing still in her ears.

"You fainted. The meld must have taken a lot out of you. Shepard is ok but she carried you here… don't think I've ever seen her so pale before. Nothing serious happened though. How are you feeling?" Dr. Chakwas replied, giving the asari her full attention.

"Ok… though my ears are ringing." Liara replied, rubbing at the back of her crest.

"Ringing? Interesting… it should pass within the next hour. I'll get you some food from the mess…"

"No, that's ok. Thank you Dr. Chakwas, but I could use a walk anyway. Is… Shepard ok?" Liara replied, hopping off the table.

"She's fine. I made her leave the med-bay about ten minutes ago because she wouldn't stop hovering over you. That woman can get underfoot sometimes." Dr. Chakwas chuckled, returning to her desk.

Liara left the med-bay and went to fix herself something to eat at the 'kitchen'. Rations weren't all that appetizing but she was starting to get used to them, especially if she had tea along with them. The Normandy's quartermaster seemed to do a good job keeping up with their requests, though not all of them could be filled due to time, cost, and storage space on the ship. Still, Liara was thankful for her Thessian tea. Just as she sat down to eat, Shepard came into the room.

"Dr. T'Soni! You're awake, that's good. Are you alright?" She asked, voice filled with concern.

"Yes. Dr. Chakwas assured me that I was perfectly fine… just a little famished. I apologize… I actually had never melded with another before." Liara admitted sheepishly.

"Oh… well, I apologize your first time wasn't very pleasant. This is a little prudent but were you able to get anything from the beacon's message?" Shepard pressed, giving her an apologetic look as she moved towards her locker.

"Unfortunately… no. Whatever message it is trying to convey is broken. The beacon likely didn't get you all of it before it overloaded. I am sorry Shepard. I… I wish I could tell you more." Liara said, wincing slightly as she expected a reprimand.

"Not your fault… just means that Saren must have another lead. Guess we're going to be following his lead for a bit. Hopefully, not forever." Shepard sighed, slamming her locker closed and sitting down across from Liara.

"I did see something, however, though it has no relevance to the message. I think something intruded on the beacon's vision. I might have messed up." Liara said, a slight pout to her lips.

"What do you mean?"

"I saw… some kind of monster. I didn't get a good look at it but it had this big, gaping mouth and it was quite large. I also saw human architecture and…" Liara started to explain but her words faltered when she noticed the wide-eyed look on Shepard's face.

Shepard's skin had paled slightly and her jaw had gone slack. She had thought she had kept a tight lid on it but her mind was not fully in her control. The memory had leaked into the vision, likely because the feelings tied the vision were so closely related to her own during those moments on Akuze. She had hoped the asari would be spared the danger but it seems her precautions did not work. A scowl came to Shepard's face, eyes downcast a little.

"That… that's one of mine. I, um think one of my memories got tangled with the beacon's message. I should have warned you about it… that's probably why you fainted. I cocked up." Shepard sighed.

"You… what?" Liara asked, unfamiliar with the term 'cocked up'.

"Messed up, made a mistake. I shouldn't have put you at risk like that. I… well, thought I could keep it under control. Seems like I was wrong but… it's been a long time since I've had need to do it."

"You've melded with asari before?" Liara blurted out, blushing a little as the thought turned to the usual implications behind melding.

"Not for… _that_, if that's what you're thinking. I… um, needed it for therapeutic reasons. I was in a pretty bad place a few years ago and I got help for a stubborn friend who took me to someone who specializes in delicate and unusual matters." Shepard said evasively, suddenly feeling rather vulnerable speaking about Sha'ira and Tevara in such a manner.

"I see. I apologize for making such a… lewd assumption. I hope I can be of help to you somehow, Shepard." Liara replied, giving her an apologetic but shy smile.

"Eh, those rumors fly around all the time but thank you. Don't worry about it so much though, we'll figure something out. Something's gotta give eventually. I'll let you get back to finishing your food. I have to take care of some things on the CIC deck." Shepard replied, standing up and giving the asari an equally shy smile before parting. She watched the human leave and felt her stomach tighten in an unfamiliar way.

_Oh Liara, what trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?_


	5. Lucky Punch

_When I first wrote this, I made Ashley out to be a bit of a bitch towards the aliens on the Normandy, especially Liara but I toned it down because it was a bit out of character for Ashley._

_Thanks for the comments so far and look forward to seeing more. I will try to keep up with responding, though takes me a day or two cause I tend to forget._

_EDIT 1: Not much in this chapter has changed, aside from tweaks to conversation flow and events involving the sparring match, mostly on the end conversation between Shepard and Liara._

* * *

Everyone was assembled in the Normandy's cargo bay, considering it was the only room on the frigate with adequate space for what Shepard had planned for her new hodge-podge of a squad. Four aliens and three humans, including herself… this was definitely a mix she was unfamiliar with. Though she wasn't worried about Kaiden adjusting to the team's new make-up, she figured Ashley would be a 'work-in-progress'. Shepard was well aware of some of her crew being xenophobic but, thankfully, none of them were of the violent kind, though Chief Pressly tended to be a bit out-spoken… mostly when he didn't think the Commander was within earshot. Still, she needed to be sure everyone could tolerate working with each other. A weakness in the team's structure could really hurt them in the field, especially against a rouge SPECTRE, an asari matriarch with commandos, and a whole mess of geth standing right in the middle. Mistakes could not be afforded.

"Seems everyone's here and properly outfitted so, we can get started. This is a unique team and we're all pretty unfamiliar with working with each other… which is counter-productive to our objective. We've got a few weeks before we reach Feros so, in the mean-time and during other downtimes between missions, we'll be working on our relationships as a unit." Shepard announced to them all

"This is kind of exciting." Tali commented, fidgeting a little.

"I don't even know why I'm bothering with this." Wrex grumbled a bit sourly.

"Just humor me Wrex. Since we're all from different disciplines and backgrounds, I figured the best way for us to get started is with some friendly sparring… and no Wrex, no breaking bones." She replied, giving the krogan a stern glare.

Wrex simply laughed and grinned at her, knowing there wasn't anything Shepard could really do to stop him from doing so but she had a point. Roughing each other up too much would not help anyone. Shepard was about to announce the first pairings when she paused for a moment, the ringing in her ears returning. She hadn't been sleeping well since Eden Prime, constantly plagued by suppressed memories and nightmares. If she managed to get any shut-eye, she found herself waking up in cold sweats. Her eyes and body felt tired but she had to shrug it off. The crew couldn't see it.

"With Tali's help, we've also got a holo simulator for practice against various types of geth… so we're better prepared for Feros. For now… why don't we start with Ashley and Garrus as our first match?" Shepard continued, looking at each in turn.

Ashley looked a bit dubious about fighting such a lanky looking creature and she especially had a sore spot for turians. However, her bravado was quickly humbled when she found the turian, though not as physical strong as her, was much more agile and dexterous. Within a couple of minutes, Garrus had Ashley pinned in a lock, Shepard trying her best to suppress a laugh as the gunnery chief refused to concede and struggled helplessly to free herself.

"Come on Ashley. Garrus has your leg behind your head. You're not getting out of this one." Shepard chuckled, kneeling down to talk to the woman.

"I can… ugh, get out of this." Ashley replied stubbornly, trying to push herself up but Garrus had her helpless underneath him.

After a few more minutes of struggling, Ashley finally gave up. Once Garrus let her up, she expressed her surprise with how agile the turian was and interest in learning on how to do that herself. Shepard smiled, impressed that she was softening up a little. It was a start.

"Good show Garrus. Now, how about Tali and Kaiden?" Laura announced, moving on to the next pairing.

She cycled through everyone, though Wrex proved to be a challenge for everyone due to his size and skill with biotics. Everyone was winded and sweating… everyone except for Liara, who Laura had avoided pairing up with anyone on purpose and the team noticed.

"Is there a reason Liara hasn't gone yet?" Ashley asked a bit snidely, shooting the asari a disapproving look.

"Ya, because I wanted to observe everyone first. Liara isn't used to our kind of field work however, I think Dr. T'Soni might benefit from sparring with me first." Shepard replied, giving Ashley a raised look, daring her to challenge her but the woman shrugged it off, seemingly satisfied with the Commander's response.

Liara was caught off-guard by the announcement, since she had expected her Commander… the Commander (she wasn't sure why that thought kept cropping up), to pit her against one of the other team members but to fight her… though they were of similar height and build, Shepard had a much more imposing aura about her. She swallowed hard and pulled on her own gloves. Her confidence was wavering a little but she knew that this was important; she had to prove she could hold her own.

There wasn't any 'start' given, simply Shepard charging at her head-on. Liara stumbled to the side, nearly tripping over her own feet. The human was fast, immediately spinning on her heel to face Liara again. The asari desperately called on whatever scraps of her military training she could recall to help her in this situation but she was completely out of her element here. She managed to block a high kick and crouched, trying to sweep Shepard off her other leg but was too slow and her effort blocked. The punch to her gut nearly knocked all the air out of her lungs and sent her stumbling back a few steps. Shepard had not pulled that punch at all and that's when it clicked that this was serious, even if it was just a sparring match.

Shepard dodged the biotic blast but a second sent her off-balance, keeping her from recovering. Liara's sudden shift in tactics caught the Commander by surprise. Shepard managed to recover and rolled out of the way of a singularity, though the asari had used the distraction as an opportunity to move close and go on the offensive. Blocking, dodging… narrow misses, the fight between the two became quite intense. Though Liara was, wholly, inexperienced in any combat scenario she was adapting quite quickly. Liara let out a breathless gasp of triumph as she managed to sweep the Commander's legs out from under her but it was a short lived victory when Shepard lashed out, kicking Liara in the knee. The pain made her leg buckle out from under her and the asari was suddenly on hands and knees. A moment later and she felt the human's body on her back and the cold metal of a blade being pressed against her throat.

"Never think your opponent is unarmed." Shepard breathed in a low, husky voice that sent warm shivers down Liara's spine before the feel of the blade leaves her throat.

Shepard had not expected the archaeologist to fight as valiantly as she had but it was a comforting start. She was about to have everyone take a break before they moved on to the simulator when Liara spoke up.

"I want a re-match, Commander." She said, still a bit short of breath.

"You sure, Liara?" Shepard asked, having already sheathed her knife.

The tension in the air was a bit thick and the look in Liara's blue eyes made her think of a time when she first joined the Alliance, fire in her eyes. It was a bitter-sweet thought but she couldn't help the smirk that tugged on her lips in response. To answer her question, Liara already shifted into a ready pose, waiting on the first move.

However, Shepard decided not to make the first move this time. Her knee was still aching but Liara tried not to let it show. Minutes dragged on as they just stared each other down but Laura was a patient woman. It didn't take long until Liara threw a singularity at her to get Shepard to move. She dodged to the side, only to be hit by a Warp before she had a chance to gain her ground. Though it was a low intensity, it still hurt like hell… but Laura wasn't expecting the throw afterwards. The asari sent Shepard flying across the cargo bay, but not hard enough to throw her into the wall. The human tumbled a few feet before finally skidding to a halt, looking a bit dis-oriented.

"Alright, not bad there Dr. T'Soni." She mumbled to herself as she got up and brushed herself off, red hair a mess.

Her ears were ringing again and it was both disorienting and distracting. Shepard was having a hard time focusing on the fight as they closed in on each other again. Liara's maneuvers were improving, her adaptation skills impressive and quite unexpected. The asari herself was surprised by how well she was holding out. At first, she thought maybe Shepard was taking it easy on her but her arms and legs were stinging from block punches and she was certain she would be sporting bruises in a few hours.

Shepard suddenly changed her stance and went for a grapple, tackling Liara to the floor and trying to pin her down but the asari had managed to hook one of her legs around Shepard's waist, giving herself leverage and flipping her off. Shepard scrambled to her feet, the ringing in her ears now a deafening roar. She was panting hard, skin glistening with sweat, pulse throbbing noticeably in her throat… but her mind was distracted as the vision came back, flashes of the . Distracted, Shepard never saw the blow coming until she felt her head snap back and she nearly fell back on her ass.

"Shepard! I'm so sorry… Goddess, you're bleeding!" Liara exclaimed in horror.

She blinked, still stunned by what had just happened as her brain struggled to orient itself back in reality. It wasn't until she felt something wet on her lip that she realized something was off. Her tongue darted over it and she was hit with the iron flavor of blood. The pain didn't even register until seconds later and a silent swear left her mouth as she wiped the trail of blood from her nose on the back of her hand.

"Good shot Liara!" Wrex barked, laughing.

"I'm so sorry…" Liara muttered in embarrassment, waiting to be chewed out by Shepard.

"Fuck… I didn't efin feel that at first. I better go see Chakwash." Shepard said, pinching her nose to help stem the bleeding.

Liara just stood there as Shepard took the elevator up, Kaiden helping her walk when she had to tip her head up. Ashley and the rest of the team crowded around her, chatting about how impressive her skills were… though Wrex seemed tickled pink about her punching the Commander in the face. The asari felt awful about it and wondered if she should go apologize to Shepard.

* * *

"I'm surprised Liara managed to give you a bloody nose, Laura." Dr. Chakwas jested.

"You're not the only one…" Shepard grumbled, rubbing at the cotton sticking out of her nostrils, only to have Chakwas smack her hand away.

"Stop that. The bleeding should stop in a few moments. Just leave it be." The doctor chided.

"Yes ma'am…" Shepard sighed, kicking her legs back and forth.

Shepard had been in the med-bay for the past ten minutes or so, waiting for the bleeding in her nose to stop. The bridge hurt a bit but it wasn't too bad… not in comparison to smacking her face on the crest of a krogan's head anyway. Still, she hadn't expected Liara to be able to put that kind of force behind her blow. Maybe she didn't need to worry so much about bringing her out into the field… though she had yet to see how Liara handled a gun.

The door opening surprised them both, especially since it was Liara coming into the med-bay. She glanced at Shepard sheepishly, eyes immediately going down to the floor and clutching her hands in front of her. Dr. Chakwas greeted her warmly and asked if she was ok… before congratulating her in putting a dent in Shepard's pride.

"I'm right here Chakwas, thanks." Shepard said sourly.

"Oh, don't be such a baby Laura. Your soldier pride is only slightly bruised." Dr. Chakwas teased.

Shepard rolled her eyes and got off the table, pulling the cotton swaps out of her nose and tossing them in the trash before leading Liara out of the med-bat and towards her personal locker in the mess-hall. Liara was a bit confused by what was going on. She had left the training, which Kaiden had been over-seeing until Shepard came back.

"S-Shep… Commander. I wanted to… um, apologize for…" Liara started, nerves getting to the best of her.

"For what? Punching me in the face? Liara, you had an opportunity and you took it. That'll save you in the field." Shepard replied, shrugging it off though she was trying hard not to breathe through her nose.

"Still, I… um…"

Shepard pulled her pistol out of her locker and turned to face the asari, stopping her words in their tracks. Liara glanced at the gun in the human's hand before looking back up at her. She had been replaying that fight over and over in her head and Shepard should have blocked that shot and yet… she had hesitated.

"Have you handled weapons much, Liara?" Shepard asked.

"Not… not for some time. I don't travel around armed, usually." Liara replied meekly.

"That's surprising… ok, maybe not that surprising. Well, you should at least get a refresher on the basics. Come on, let's go back down to the cargo bay."

Liara simply followed, still unsure of how to handle this situation but Shepard didn't seem upset or angry with her about the matter. Then there was the unanswered question of 'what' made Shepard hesitate at that crucial moment. Had something happened personally? The asari didn't have much time to dwell on it as Shepard started to lecture her on proper gun handling and care. Liara did what she could to remember what she was being told but it was difficult to follow all the terms and such.

"Here, try holding it. Don't worry, the safety's on." Shepard said, holding the gun to her grip first.

Nervously, Liara took the pistol from Liara, noticing how heavy it felt in her hands. Shepard instructed her to use both and how to hold it up and aim down the sights. The way the human was standing behind her, chest brushing against the back of her shoulders, breath tickling her 'ear' as she leaned her head over her shoulder to correct the asari's posture… Liara found herself quite unable to focus on what Shepard was trying to teach her.

"This model doesn't have much of a kick but the bigger guns do so… just be careful. We'll do some easy field missions to get you used to working in a squad." Shepard said, backing away as she concluded her tutoring.

"I… appreciate that, Shepard. I will… um, do my best." Liara said, handing her back the gun.

"That's all I want from anyone. By the way, I want a rematch sometime soon, Liara. You got lucky with that punch." Shepard replied, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Once training finished up, everyone went their separate ways, though Shepard hung back to speak with the requisitions officer. Liara hung around, a question on the tip of her tongue. When the human headed for the elevator, she followed but her nerves locked her throat when the door closed and they were alone in that small space. Shepard was trying to resist the urge to itch her nose but it was hard. Her face was in a constant scowl as the itch grew more uncomfortable and Liara noticed it when they stepped off into the mess hall.

"Are you alright, Shepard?" the asari asked shyly.

"Ya, nose's just itches but Chakwas said not to scratch at it or it might start bleeding again. God damn this is irritating." The human replied with an irritated huff as she went to the kitchen and grabbed a snack bar.

"I'm sorry…" Liara started but she stopped as soon as the woman rounded on her.

"Liara. Seriously, quit apologizing. No harm no foul, it happens. That's the fun of being a soldier, someone eventually knocks you off your high-horse. Helps keep people like me grounded in reality. God forbid I start shoving my head up my ass." She replied, waving it off.

Liara didn't quite understand that analogy, since human euphemisms were quite confusing but she just went along with that. That unspoken question was still there, begging to be voiced but Liara wasn't confident in asking. At least, she thought she wasn't…

"Why did you hesitate?" Liara blurted out, cheeks turning dark as soon as she realized the words left her mouth.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Shepard asked in confusion, ripping the wrapping off her snack and taking a bite.

"Umm… during the sparring match. You… you could have easily blocked me but you didn't. The more I think about it… you seemed distracted at that moment." The asari explained, deciding she had already stepped into this mess, why stop now?

Shepard was silent for a moment, her expression stoic and troubled at the same time. Her green eyes flitted down to look at the floor, then back up at Liara. Honestly, she hadn't thought about it, since everything had happened so fast but now that she was thinking about it… that 'flash' had really jarred her at a crucial moment. The problem the realization presented made her scowl and Liara believed she had upset the red-head yet again.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked…"

"It's fine, really… but I don't feel comfortable talking about it out in the open. Let's, um, go to my quarters." Shepard replied, suddenly not feeling hungry anymore as she tossed the barely eaten snack bar into the garbage disposal.

Liara had never been inside Shepard's personal quarters, so she wasn't sure to expect but once inside, the private room seemed rather… empty. There was just a bed and night stand, a desk where her terminal sat, and a table with a couple of chairs. There wasn't really any decorations or personalization to the room.

"About what you asked… I didn't even think about it until just now but I suppose I assumed you'd know about me as much as Kaiden and most of the Normandy crew does. Sorry… I should have explained. I had a flashback during that fight, that's why I didn't see you coming. I hadn't had one of those in a few years so it caught me off-guard. I guess I hit my head a bit harder than I thought." Shepard explained, her voice unusually soft and quiet.

"Oh, I see. Is it because of what the beacon's done?" Liara probed curiously.

"Maybe… I honestly don't know. I went through a lot of shit early in my career and afterwards wasn't much better. It's all still up here, lurking like a wild beast. Honestly, I shouldn't even be here; the Alliance and Council both know that but it's too late now I suppose. I've been stuck holding the bag." Shepard sighed.

"I'm sorry. This mission, chasing Saren and my mother… would be overwhelming for anyone."

"Doesn't help my mental stability is questionable at best but all I can do is try and keep it all in check while doing my job. I don't want to endanger anyone here again. People like me rarely get a second chance." Shepard sighed, running a hand through hair.

"People… like you?' the asari asked, a bit lost by everything Shepard was telling her.

"Soldiers who've been broken by shit. This thing? My first command job went to hell. A platoon of thirty men died under my command and I survived… barely." She replied, pointing at the scaring on her face and arm.

"You were extremely lucky. It must have been incredibly traumatic." Liara said, voice filled with awe as she tried to keep up with the conversation.

"Ya…" Shepard's voice trailed off with her response, her brow furrowing and lips drawing together in a tight line all of a sudden. She was silent for a few minutes.

Shepard looked up and stared at Liara for a moment, her expression difficult for the asari to interpret. She wasn't angry or annoyed but the way she was looking at her… the best she could describe it as was confusion… maybe? The corner of the human's lip twitched up and she let out a short laugh.

"Maybe they're right…" She muttered, Liara barely catching the words.

"Pardon?" Liara asked, wondering she had meant to address her.

"Oh! Nothing… just a stray thought. I've never actually spoken like this to anyone in a while. You must think I'm crazy... well, most people do." Shepard said with a small laugh.

"Not crazy though… strange I must admit. I haven't really had many dealings with humans before. You are a testament to how resilient your species is, Shepard." Liara replied.

"Ha, I'm not the best example of my people, believe me. Most of them don't have half their face missing." She joked.

"I think the scar is… um, beautiful." The asari blurted out.

At first, the compliment didn't register with Shepard but when it sunk in, her eyes widened with surprise and her cheeks took on a pinkish hue, though it was more noticeable on the right side of her face. Shepard rubbed the back of her neck and found she couldn't look the asari in the eye out of embarrassment of a different kind. Her stomach suddenly felt kinda funny at the compliment.

"Well… um, thank you. I have to admit, you've continued to surprise me Liara."

"Is… that a good thing?" Liara asked, confused.

"You're doing just fine, Liara. So um… well, I hadn't expected our conversation to take this turn. Been mostly talking about myself." Shepard realized, becoming even more embarrassed.

"Oh, I don't mind! I… liked listening to you talk. You are a fascinating person Shepard." Liara admitted shyly.

"Fascinating eh? You have weird taste in people Liara… or is your interest because of the Prothean beacon?" Shepard asked with a bemused smile.

"I… initially it was but I must admit, you are an interesting person and you've taught me quite a bit. I continue to look forward to working with you Shepard."

"Laura. You can call me Laura, Liara. I… should probably get back to work. I have some reports to finish up and other crap." She told the asari, glancing back at her terminal.

"O-of course! I'm keeping you from your job. I'll, um… just talk with Ashley or Wrex about guns… and field work." Liara stammered, immediately glancing at the door.

"Don't worry about. I hate paperwork. I misjudged you Liara… I hope you continue to surprise me." She said, escorting her to the door.

Liara muttered a good-bye before the door closed but she stood there, a bit stunned by how things had played out just now. However, she couldn't help the smile pulling on her lips at the thought of Shepard opening up to her on such a personal matter… there were butterflies in her stomach. She had told the human that her interests lie in the Prothean beacon and Shepard as a person but now… the latter seemed to be much more than mild interest in interactions with humans.


	6. Zhu's Hope

_The Feros mission is pretty straight forward, so a relatively short chapter in comparison to the last one._

_EDIT 1: Tweaked a few events in this chapter but it's pretty much the same._

* * *

"That should be the last one Commander." Tali announced after checking the read outs on her omni-tool.

When they had arrived on Zhu's Hope, no one had expected the mess the colony was suffering through. The few survivors left had been barely holding out against the Geth, invasion after invasion wearing on their supplies and moral. The arrival of an Alliance ship had bolstered their courage but it was a fleeting strength. Shepard had decided getting some of the colony's systems back online, such as the irrigation system, would help them out while they pressed on to the Exo-Geni headquarters, where the Geth had holed up. The MAKO was already ready and waiting to take the Skyway… but they were going to have to fight their way there first.

Liara still wasn't used to the MAKO… mostly because Shepard was not the best driver. Ashley and Kaiden both described Shepard's vehicular skills as 'lead-footed' and when they explained, she understood why. Shepard didn't use the brakes as often as she should or in the correct manner when she needed them… plus the MAKO had really bad suspension for a military vehicle. Before they left however, Shepard decided some of the fireteam would stay behind to help protect the surviving colonists.

"Wrex, Ashley, and Tali will stay here while I take the rest of the team to the Exo-Geni headquarters. They'll probably try to take the colony again so no slacking while I'm gone." Shepard ordered.

"Aye Commander. You leaving anyone in charge?" Ashley asked a bit eagerly.

"Not particularly. You three sort it out with the colonists and try to keep them all in one piece until we've got the geth taken care of. Hopefully, we can figure out why Saren wants this place so badly."

With the team division decided, Shepard, Garrus, Kaiden, and Liara got into the MAKO in the waiting garage and headed down the Skyway. Of course, the Skyway was guarded by geth from the colony all the way to the Exo-Geni headquarters. Luckily, they picked up a radio transmission from survivors from the building holed up near it and were able to gather some intel, though it wasn't very helpful. The geth had taken the building, which they already knew. What they didn't know was that the geth drop ship was now attached to the building and no one knew why.

* * *

"Fuck ya!" Shepard exclaimed as the last support tore away from the build with a loud screech, sending the geth mother ship plummeting to the planet's surface far, far below.

With the ship gone, that mean the interference from blocking their comms was no longer functioning. She immediately pulled up her omni-tool to radio into the Normandy but, instead, Joker was hailing her… and in a panic.

"Finally! Shepard, you need to get back here fast. I don't know what happened but the colonist have gone berserk." He reported in a heightened voice.

"What? What's going on over there?" Shepard demanded, confused by the information.

"As soon as the comms cleared up, the colonists suddenly started banging on the Normandy. Ashley got our crew back in and I sealed it but they are making a lot of noise out there. I think they might have moved one of the buildings… though I don't know why."

"We're on our way. Try not to harm them… something doesn't seem right." Shepard replied before cutting the line.

Once more, the trip in the MAKO was rough and nauseating and they stopped at the small camp with the Exo-Geni. That's when they learned the truth of the company's presence here and the colony. Apparently, a creature called a Thorian was discovered in a chamber below where Zhu's Hope had been constructed. The Throian had infected the colonists with spores, turning them into its slaves and Exo-Geni allowed this without informing them of the danger they were in. Luckily, most of the people there were remorseful for what they had done and handed Shepard a new grenade mod to help subdue the colonists that had not yet completely turned. Shepard thanked them but they needed to get back to Zhu's Hope before any serious damage was done to the Normandy.

* * *

Shepard grimaced as she found herself standing over the dead body of Fai Dan, gun still in his hand as a pool of blood gathered under his head. Watching him shoot himself… how many times had she been at that threshold before? It pained her to think about it but, for the moment, the colony was quiet. The gas mod for the grenades kept casualties to a minimum but there was still the problem of the Thorian. The colonists would be a constant danger as long as that thing was still alive. She operated the lift, revealing the hidden passage down to the chamber underneath the colony.

"Let's go. Shepard to Normandy. We're heading underground. The colonists have been subdued but remain cautious. Don't know how long that gas will keep them knocked out."

Joker acknowledged a moment later before Shepard led them down. The air here was strangely thick and humid… the heat alone making her sweat under her armored suit. Guns drawn, they progressed slowly deeper and deeper into the cavern. They all noticed the strange, fleshy pods they were passing.

"I wonder what this Thorian looks… like?" Kaidan questioned as they rounded a corner, voice tapering off as he got his answer.

Shepard felt her jaw go slack as she stared at the creature before them in the center of the shaft. It looked like a giant heart with the way it pulsed and twitched. She could make out, what appeared to be, a set of slanted eyes and tendrils hanging out towards the bottom. She wasn't sure if the thing could see but they sure as hell didn't have enough fire-power to destroy this thing. Shit.

"Should have brought bigger guns." Shepard commented softly, lowering her firearm a little.

"Commander, what are we going to…?" Liara started to ask, only stopping when the Thorian suddenly sprang to life.

It made this wet heaving sound, tendrils wiggling as its entire body vibrated until it, quite literally, threw something up with a disgusting 'splat' noise. Much to their surprise, it was an asari… though her skin color was all wrong. Instead of blue, she was a shade of green that matched the husk creatures they encountered earlier. Apparently, Saren had come to Zhu's Hope for the Thorian, for it was old… old enough to have been around when the Protheans were alive. It had absorbed some kind of memory from feeding off their corpses… a memory that was key to the vision from the beacon. Once again, Saren was a step ahead of them but he had, again, failed at destroying the piece Shepard needed… however getting it was not going to be easy.

Threatened by the geth attacks from earlier, the Thorian was in no mood to negotiate anything and immediately, the asari attacked. There were dozens of the zombie-like thralls in the chamber, waking to the Thorian's call to defend it. For each one they killed, another took its place and there was no end to them. Each time the asari was taken down, the Thorian would just spit out another one. There was no end to this.

"Look out!" Laura cried, shoving Kaidan out of the way as one of the husks vomited bile.

The liquid hit her and she could hear it hiss as it broke through her kinetic barrier. Her entire body froze up and she just stood there, legs unwillingly to move. The flashback consumed her in the midst of their fight for a few seconds...

_Shoving the corporal out of the way, acid eating through flesh… agony… pain… white light and ringing in her ears…._

"Commander!" Liara cried, throwing Shepard backwards a few feet to avoid the green asari's powerful warp with her own biotics.

Shepard recovered her senses, though her left side was aching horribly and her ears were filled with that ringing sound. She happened to look up and noticed a thick branch of flesh was stuck to the wall, connected right to the Thorian. That's when she realized there were several of them around the tunnel… holding the Thorian up.

"New plan! Aim for those!" She shouted, pointing at the flesh protrusion before opening fire.

They all concentrated fire on the thing until the Thorian let out a horrendous screech as it snapped away from the wall in a shower of greenish-white liquid. Shepard quickly ran them to the next one and repeated the same. She could hear stone starting to crack as it struggled to support the Thorian's massive weight. They just needed one more. Back up the flight of stairs one level and they had the last one. The asari was doubling her efforts to slow them down but it was all for naught. When that last support tore free, the Thorian let out a shrill shriek as it went plummeting down the chasm. Shepard flinched when she heard the impact of the fall echo back up.

"Shit…" She commented after peering down the black shaft, realizing that what she needed was now a pancake at the bottom of the shaft… somewhere.

"What now Commander?" Kaidan asked, wiping some thick goo off his armor.

"Guess Saren has the upper hand now. The Thorian had… wait. Did you hear that?" Shepard started to reply, startled by a wet sound coming from nearby.

Cautiously, the team went to investigate and found a room full of fleshy pods but the wall had housed one giant one… that had burst open. The asari from before was standing in a pile of goo, looking a bit disoriented. She wasn't green like before… but those had all been clones of some kind. This was the template for them. When she looked up and saw Shepard and her team, she immediately raised her hands in surrender.

"I do not intend to fight." She said.

"Good… I'm not really in the mood for more fighting. You're one of Saren's goons, aren't you?" Shepard questioned, pistol still pointed at her.

"At first, no. I am Shiala, once a loyal follower of Matriarch Benezia but… Saren has done something to twist our minds to his cause. The ship he has, Sovereign, has a way of digging into your mind, making Saren's thoughts your own and forgetting all else." She replied

"His ship? Why did he want the Thorian?" Shepard pressed, lowering her arms a little though Kaidan and Liara kept their own up.

"The Thorian had the Cypher; the very essence of the Protheans. He needed it to understand the beacon's message. I was… not gentle in extracting the information from the Thorian. Saren left me here as tribute to the creature after he got what he wanted." Shiala explained to her with distaste.

"So… there's no chance of me getting it at all. Great." Shepard sighed in exasperation.

"There is. I still retain the Cypher in my mind and will pass it on to you. I bear no loyalty to Saren now and… I feel responsible for what has happened to the colonists. At the least, I can give you the means to stay on his trail." She replied.

Shepard knew what that entailed and grimaced but it was necessary. She had been trying to hide the shaking in her hand as much as possible, even as Shiala approached her and touched her cheek gently. Staring into those black depths as her eyes changed… the meld was much different from Liara's. It was harsh, disconnected… uncaring. Simply meant to pass information and nothing more. There was no lingering on stray thoughts but having the Cypher imprinted on her mind and it hurt like hell. The images flashed before her mind, but this time there was a small amount of clarity to them. Still, the nightmares were tangled and it made her shaking worse.

"Commander?!" Kaidan exclaimed when Shepard fell to one knee as Shiala backed off.

"I'm fine! I… I just need a moment…" Shepard gasped, feeling her chest tightening and heart hammering in her ears.

As Kaidan helped Shepard up to her feet and supporting her so she could walk, Liara caught a glimpse of her face. She was pale as a sheet, sweating, and her pupils dilated. Worry suddenly pierced her chest. Shepard was not ok.


	7. Echoes of Akuze

_This becomes a little straying arc from the actual Mass Effect story line to play around with Shepard's background a bit._

_Originally, Rebehka and Serah had 2 asari parents but I changed it down to just living with the mother, since I changed up who the girls' fathers were... but that isn't important until later on._

_EDIT 1: Some big changes to the flow of this chapter._

* * *

_"Commander, something seems to be interfering with our comm signal."_

_She gave the communications chief a confused look, staring blankly at the monitor as he tried to explain what was going on. All she knew was that patrols hadn't reported in in the past ten minutes. They were even having trouble getting in contact with the warship orbiting above them._

_"Ma'am… there's a secondary signal being broadcast at a low frequency… from somewhere in the colony."_

_"What? Is it related to the jamming frequency?" She asked, still not sure what she was looking at._

_Before he could respond, the ground shook. A gentle tremor but strong enough to get everyone's attention and make the lights flicker. There was mumbling between people, since Akuze wasn't known for having seismic events. Still…something had happened to the colonists here. When they had arrived, the colony was completely empty, looking as if attacked but there was no sign of pirates or slavers raiding the place. Another shake, stronger this time, knocked over several piece of equipment and a weakened building on the edges of the colony collapsed, startling every marine there._

_"Set up the emergency distress beacon and try to hail the Mjolnir. Now!" She ordered, scrambling to get everyone under control but even their short-link comms were acting up._

_There was the sound of something rupturing and she spun, shouting for any of marines within ear-shot while the few non-combat operatives they had with them scrambled around cluelessly. Something was coming this way and it was massive. A building caved creating a thick screen of dust and debris… then the ground gave a violent shake that threw them all off their feet ass something exploded out of the ground. The scream drowned out all other sounds as two thick arms crashed down around them, smashing one of the MAKOs under it and destroying scattering their communications array. Laura stared in horror at the towering beast, a creature she had only heard about in vids. A Thresher Maw. She screamed as she saw several of her men suddenly succumb to the monster's acidic spray._

_"Commander! Commander!"_

Liara woke with a startled yelp, sitting up on her cot. Her shout had startled Shepard awake, having been leaning back against the wall near the door, half-asleep. The asari was surprised to see herself back in the med-bay storage room instead of the comms room.

"Sh-Shepard? What… why am I here?" She asked wearily, her head throbbing with a dull ache.

"You collapsed during the meld. You've been out for a little over twelve hours now. Are… you ok?" the human asked, concern written all over her face.

"I… think so. What happened, exactly? I have a bit of a headache."

Shepard went to the desk instead of answering her question, picking up a glass of water and a couple of pills Chakwas had left, warning that Liara would likely have a headache from the backlash of the meld. She held both out to Liara.

"Take these, they'll help the headache. As for what happened… it was my fault. I lost control and… it was a mess." Shepard said a bit evasively, eyes looking down at the floor instead of at her.

Liara took the medication, knowing it was orders from Dr. Chakwas that Shepard was following and angering that woman was not advisable. It took a few minutes before the medication kicked in but sure enough, the ache started to subside and she could think more clearly. Liara started to recall what happened when they got back onto the Normandy from Zhu's Hope. They had a debriefing about the mission and a small discussion about the Thorian and Cypher Shiala had given her. Shepard hadn't been able to make sense of it, especially since the meld with the asari had left her with a splitting headache… much like the one the Prothean beacon on Eden Prime had given her. They had melded and then… Liara suddenly remembered and her head came up sharply as she looked at Shepard.

"I saw what happened… on Akuze. Goddess, I had no idea…" She said, her voice full of sorrow as she got to her feet.

"I didn't want to subject you to that but the Cypher was fucking with my head. I should have waited, not forced you to… "

"You didn't force me to do anything, Shep… Laura. I want to do what I can for you and your mission." Liara replied, trying to sound reassuring.

"You're not trained for that kind of stuff, Liara. I should have waited and taken my medication first. No one should have to see that shit… fuck, it probably felt like you lived through that. That's not ok… that was irresponsible of me…" Shepard lamented, getting agitated the more she dwelled on it.

Liara touched her left cheek, remembering how real the pain and agony had felt. She had been subjected to the raw memory of the event, permanently burned into the human's mind but it was also the emotions that went with it that she couldn't stop swirling around inside her. Pain, anger… crushing guilt and sorrow was the strongest of them. Liara realized Shepard felt responsible… that she shouldn't have lived through it. Her heart and gut twisted in sympathy at the thought of what this woman before her had to live through every day since then.

"I'm fine, really. I just… do you want to… um, talk about it?" Liara said, unsure if she should encroach on Shepard's personal space.

"No… not now. Not ever. The Cypher helped put things in perspective but… I can't…" She said, her voice cracking as she turned away and left the room, leaving Liara there wondering if she had done something wrong.

* * *

"You've got to be an iron wall, Liara. Can't let anyone push you around." Wrex instructed, Liara recovering from his last attack.

The krogan was trying to help her strengthen her biotic barriers. Liara was skilled with offensive biotic attacks but her defensive skills were sub-par at best. They all knew their next mission was going to be on Noveria, confronting her mother and she wanted to be prepared. Her mother was a powerful biotic and everyone would need to be in peak condition to successfully apprehend her. However, Liara's attention was distracted and it was affecting her focus on her biotics. It had been nearly two weeks since they left Zhu's Hope. They were now heading back to the Citadel after wrapping up some side missions they had picked up. They were working better as a team the more time they all spent together but Liara… all she could think about was the dreams.

Several of Shepard's memories had been imprinted on her in chaotic bits and pieces. Some nights she woke up screaming, clutching at her face or arm or side where her body ached in memory of an injury she had never suffered. Other nights, she'd wake up sobbing, clutching her blanket tightly. All these emotions… Liara knew they weren't her own but it was so hard to not feel them, to experience the agony and torture and she couldn't imagine how Shepard had survived it for years… but then the memories had given glimpses into her dark and lonely past. Her heart broke for the Commander constantly but she didn't know how to approach her about the matter. The memories were affecting her too.

"Ah!" Liara shouted in startlement when Wrex smashed through her biotic barrier.

"Are you alright Liara? You've been glassy eyed for the past five minutes." The scarred krogan asked, placing a hand on her shoulder and fixing her with a stern but concerned look… at least as concerned as a krogan could manage to look.

"I… I'm fine. Just a lot on my mind." She muttered in embarrassment, shoulders slumping in defeat.

Too distracted to continue drills, Liara decided to head up to the med-bay try to get some more of her research processed. They had found a few scraps of Prothean artifacts during her side adventures. Liara had been hoping one might help them figure out the beacon's broken message but so far, their luck had been rather unfortunate. When she entered the mess hall, she was surprised to see it empty and decided to go fix herself a cup of tea. It was a small comfort and it helped her clear her mind. However, she nearly dropped it when Shepard startled her when she came out of her office.

"Sorry, didn't mean to spook you." The human apologized, giving her weak smile.

Liara noticed Shepard that her eye lids were darker than they had been a few days ago and her eyes had a soft pink tint to them. She looked exhausted, to say the least. Shepard noticed the smell of the tea, since she had smelled it before numerous times walking through the mess but could never figure out where it was coming from.

"What is that?" She asked, nodding towards the cup.

"It's Thessian tea. The requisition officer was nice enough to get me some. Would… you like some?" Liara offered, seeing an opportunity for them to talk.

"Sure… though I haven't drunk tea in a long time. Is it safe for human consumption?" She asked curiously as Liara moved back to get another teabag and cup.

"Yes… at least, I think so." Liara replied, realizing she had no idea.

"Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained." Shepard sighed, sitting down at the table, slouching in the chair as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

Once she had fixed Shepard her cup of tea, she placed it in front of her and sat down next to the human's left. She wanted to talk to her about the dreams… well, the human's memories that had become constant nightmares for her. Liara wanted to understand her and this went well beyond interest in the fact that she was touched by working Prothean technology. This woman… there was something about her that attracted the asari and she was confused by it. Liara had never had 'feelings' directed towards anyone aside from her own mother. She wanted to reach out and place her hand over Shepard's but she had seen her adverse reaction to being touched when Kaiden had tried to touch her arm.

"I dream about your memories." Liara said softly, staring at her cup of tea nervously.

Shepard didn't say anything but she could feel the weight of the woman's emerald eyes on her. She chanced a glance and saw Shepard had clenched her hand around her cup of tea. Liara bit her bottom lip nervously, wondering if it was a bad thing to mention that to her. Shepard glanced at the asari and saw the bite lip and her heart fluttered. Damn this woman for being so attractive… it was distracting when she was trying to focus on serious matters such as the problem Liara just presented to her.

"I… I'm sorry. I did this to you and I don't have a way to fix it Liara." Shepard replied mournfully.

"It's ok. They are… manageable but I am more concerned about you. You live with this every day… I don't understand how you can be so collected about it." The asari replied, head turned to look at her.

"Ha, believe me, I'm just really good at hiding it… plus, medication. I got… therapy I guess you could call it, a couple of years ago that really helped me manage but the beacon has undone all of that." Shepard sighed, her shoulders slumping a little.

"I… know. I see her in your memories sometimes. Consort Shi'ira?" Liara probed cautiously.

"Ya. I was introduced to her by a friend. She was very… insistent that Shi'ira would be better help than the six Alliance and private therapists I saw to help me after I finished my physical recovery. I figured it was worth a shot… since nothing else worked. First time I've ever gone through an asari meld but… it helped." Shepard explained to her, though she kept the details to herself.

Liara simply nodded and sipped her tea, Shepard doing the same. They sat in silence for a while, Liara occasionally sneak glances over at Shepard. The woman's expression was concerning but oddly attractive. The way her brow was furrowed to make a neat crinkle above the bridge of her nose, the corner of her pink lips turned down slightly and her green eyes narrowed slightly. There was a stray strand of hair sticking out near the corner of her eye and, without even thinking about it, Liara reached out and tucked it behind her ear. Shepard flinched slightly at the fleeting brush of fingertips against the smooth flesh of her scar. Liara froze, hand held halfway up as she realized she had just invaded the human's personal space without asking.

"S-sorry, I… couldn't help it." Liara admitted quietly.

"It… it's ok. You just startled me is all. I'm… not used to physical contact. Anyway, are you sure you're ok?" Shepard asked.

"Some nights, I wake up chilled or with phantom pains but the effects are subsiding as time goes on. The memories will… fade given time, since they aren't mine. I will be quite alright." Liara replied in assurance

"Good. Again, I'm sorry for exposing you to… that. I'm not a very good first-time melding partner, am I?" She joked weakly.

"I'm sure it could have been worse… and you don't need to apologize. I willingly volunteered and I would do it again to help you find and stop Saren and Benezia." The asari told her, offering a smile.

"You're very gutsy Liara, I must admit. I never would have guessed that of you when we first met to be honest, considering the circumstance we found you in."

"I'm quite surprised myself but… perhaps you are more inspiring than you believe, Laura. I've honestly never been part of something like this but I feel like it is part of my responsibility to help." Liara admitted.

"Fair enough… but what about after we apprehend Benezia. What will you do then?" Shepard asked.

"It does not end there for me. I wish to see this through to the end… though I must admit I hope to find whatever Prothean world that is in the messages. I feel it contains the Conduit we and Saren both seek. It would be a great find… but of course, your mission comes first." Liara explained to her in embarrassment.

Shepard listened to her patiently, her lips curling into a smile until she started to chuckle. Their conversation, as morbid as it had gone, was actually quite nice. She hadn't really sat down and talked to anyone at any length since this mission started. It was refreshing but she wasn't sure why, of all people, she was most comfortable with Liara. The asari had such an innocent air about her… it drew Shepard to her for some reason. The asari was crossing her thoughts more and more as of late. At first, it had started out as concern after she had fainted during their second meld and learning that she was dreaming of those memories… that they were affecting her only made her feel worse about it but talking about it, seeing that she was braving through it… she couldn't help a small laugh escaping her.

"You are certainly full of surprises, Liara. Thank you… I forgot how it felt to, well, talk. I haven't had chance to do it since this whole mess started. Since we're here, why don't we talk about something a bit more positive… like your Prothean research?" Shepard told her, smiling again.

"I would like that. No one really takes my work seriously. What would you like to know?"

They talked for a while, even after both had finished their tea. Liara's passion for her work often led her to ramble on and on about her digs and the information she had found… which wasn't much. Shepard listened patiently to her talk, asking a question here and there though it didn't help much. Shepard didn't have much a brain for this scientific stuff, she was just good at killing things. Liara finally realized that she had been talking for quite a while and blushed.

"Oh dear, I've rambled on for quite a long time, haven't I?" She asked sheepishly.

"I didn't mind. It was very interesting to listen to you talk about your work. You're very passionate about it." Shepard replied.

"I've spent a great deal of my life so far studying everything I can… regain what was lost to us. However, no one takes me seriously since I'm only a hundred and six."

"You've still got a full life ahead of you. Anyway, I should probably get back to work. I still have paperwork to file before we reach the Citadel tomorrow. Thanks Liara… for the tea and the talk. Maybe we should… grab lunch while we're on the Citadel." Shepard offered, getting up from her seat and picking up both cups.

"I'd like that Shepard. I look forward to it."

* * *

The Normandy's arrival at the Citadel was uneventful but everyone was more relaxed now that they had some time off. It was only going to be for a couple of days while the Normandy was under-going some much needed maintenance. The squad itself was gathered near the elevator of in C-SEC. They were idling chatting about various plans. Wrex wanted to go drinking with everyone but most declined. Everyone else just wanted to relax and unwind before they shipped out to Noveria to deal with Benezia. However, just before everyone finally parted ways, a small voice stopped everyone in their tracks.

"Sheppy!"


	8. Unknowingly Seduced

_More side-track adventures, namely re-interpreting the 'start' of Liara's romance path._

_Hope you readers are still enjoying the story._

_EDIT 1: Lots of changes to this chapter though it is still the 'start' of Liara's romance path with Shepard._

* * *

Shepard recognized the little voice that had shouted the nick name and angled her gaze down in time to see a young asari running at her. A smile tugged at her lips, despite the fact her entire crew was watching. She knelt down on one knee, the smile growing bigger.

"Serah!" She exclaimed in reply.

The little girl ran right into her arms, pushing herself up onto the tips of her toes to throw her arms around Shepard's neck in a hug. With a laugh, she hooked one arm around the little girl and lifted her with ease. She chanced a glance at her companions and saw the smug grins on their faces as they watched the scene unfold.

"What are you all gawking at?" She huffed at them, feeling her cheeks starting to warm up.

"Nothing… Sheppy." Wrex responded with a shit-eating smile.

"Sheppy, who are they?" The little girl asked.

Shepard rolled her eyes and introduced them all to the little girl, whom was named Serah. Liara noticed one thing about her and that the color of the asari's eyes were very similar to Shepard's, though she wasn't sure of how old this little girl was. She was extremely young, probably no older than ten but maybe younger. She seemed well acquainted with the red-headed human, which made her think of an assumption that made her heart twist in jealousy.

"Don't you lot have better things to do? Go on, shoo." Shepard said, earning laughs from everyone before they dispersed, aside from Liara.

"Serah… you didn't come here by yourself did you?" Shepard asked with concern.

"No… Rebheka and I walked here but she was taking too long so I ran the rest of the way." Serah replied meekly.

"There you are Serah! Goddess, how many times have I told you not to run off like that? I'm so sorry Laura." A second voice chimed in, an asari jogging into the room. She stood nearly as talk as Liara and looked around the same age, though her skin was a darker shade of blue. Remembering what they had talked about the other day, Liara realized this must be the daughter of her friend.

"You were being too slow! I wanted to catch Shepard before she ran off!" Serah protested loudly.

"Alright you two, calm down. Serah, listen to your big sister, ok? You could have gotten hurt." Shepard chided the little girl.

Serah pouted and whined a little, but eventually, she acknowledged that she had done something she shouldn't have and promised not to do it again. Liara couldn't help the smile on her face as she watched how Shepard interacted with the two. The human was especially sweet with little Serah.

"So… what are you two doing here anyway?" Shepard asked.

"Serah wanted to catch you this time. She was a little upset she didn't get a chance to give you a present for becoming a SPECTRE." Rebheka explained with a chuckle.

"Ah… well, do you two want to join me and Liara for lunch?" Shepard offer, glancing at Liara to see if she was ok with the idea.

"I don't mind." Liara replied, startled out of her observant mood.

"Yay! Can we get ice cream too?" Serah exclaimed in excitement.

* * *

After grabbing lunch with the two girls, the four of them headed to the east side of the Presidium. Shepard decided they needed to get the girls back home before their mother worried…or she got an angry call over her omni-tool. Though Liara wasn't really participating, she took solace in watching how Shepard interacted with them. This was a side of the human she had not seen before… and was certain would not see again once they left the Citadel.

"So, how's your schooling going, Rebheka?" Shepard asked, Serah sitting on her shoulders, half-asleep.

"I graduate in a couple of months and then I'm going to enroll at the academy on Thessia. I want to be a commando… unless the Alliance is letting non-humans join the N7 program." The asari replied proudly.

"Sadly, no but I'll let you know if they do… but I'm proud to hear you've got your goals sorted out. Are you sure a military career is what you want?" She pressed.

"Of course!"

Shepard chuckled and seemed satisfied with Rebheka's answer. They continued to converse while Liara listened silently until they reached the apartments the two girls lived in. Shepard set Serah on the ground and smiled at them both.

"I'm glad you two came to visit." She said, taking about a half-step back before Rebheka stopped her.

"Are you guys not going to come in? Mom would probably be pretty miffed if you didn't come say hi to her." Rebheka taunted.

"Tevara's home? Well, I suppose we can drop in for a quick hello… if that's alright with you Liara." Shepard replied dubiously, glancing back at Liara for her approval.

"Huh? Oh, I don't mind at all. This is quite fun." Liara replied with a bemused smile.

So, they went inside, following the girls up to their home on the top floors. The apartment itself was rather homey… well, homey for an asari anyway. Liara found herself a little home sick as the furniture and décor reminded her of her mother's penthouse on Thessia, where she spent a great deal of her childhood. An older asari came inside from the balcony when Serah called out to her, announcing their arrival. She wore a simple sun dress made of a deep purple color that accented her skin quite well.

"Laura! What a pleasant surprise. I hope my girls weren't any trouble." Tevara greeted, giving Shepard a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"They're never any trouble Tevara. You haven't changed much in the last couple of years." Shepard jested in return.

"So, introduce me. Who's your friend here?" Tevara continued, her attention directed at Liara.

"Oh, this is Dr. Liara T'Soni. Liara, this is Tevara Ashan. We've been… friends for a few years now."

"Ah, Matriarch Benezia's daughter. I've met her on an occasion or two… a shame what's happened. Please, come in and let's talk over a bottle of wine!"

Tevara led them back into the apartment, asking Rebheka to keep her little sister occupied while she entertained their guests in the living room. She opened up a bottle of Thessian red, though Shepard seemed rather hesitant in partaking at first but this was just a social visit, not a seedy bar in the pit of the Citadel. Shepard took a glass of wine and sat down next to Liara while Tevara sat in the chair across from them and started asking them about the mission. Shepard did most of the talking again, Liara just quietly listening and sipping her wine, taking in this new side of Shepard as much as she could. She rather enjoyed it.

"You've certainly kept yourself busy since your reinstatement. Shi'ira said you had visited her a few months ago." Tevara commented, refilling her glass.

"Well, she invited me at a convenient time so yes, I visited her. We talked and I solved a problem for her, that's pretty much it." Shepard replied, rolling her eyes and sipping from her glass.

"She mentioned that when we spoke a few weeks ago. She seemed rather appreciative of your help. Come, tell me of your adventures. You must have some interesting stories during this chase of Saren you're on. Come on, spill." Tevara said, changing the topic a bit on them.

Shepard chuckled, the wine helping her loosen up but instead of telling herself, she encouraged Liara to talk about her first field mission. At first, Liara was reluctant to regale the tale, since it involved chasing Pyjaks around looking for the part to a fallen Alliance satellite. Tevara and Shepard both got a kick out of the story as her cheeks turned dark and she refilled her glass with more wine.

"It's not that funny." She muttered, glaring at Shepard.

"It was a bit… but you're doing quite well so I won't tease you about it too much Liara. You're my premiere Prothean expert on this mission… cause so far very little of this shit makes sense to me still." Shepard said, earning a glare from Tevara.

"Language, Laura. I don't need my children picking up your foul tongue. Rebheka's already picking up some of your bad habits."

Liara observed the interaction between the two women and felt a pang of jealousy in her heart. They were so friendly with each other, her mind was already jumping to baseless conclusions and assumptions about their relationship. The conversation was interrupted when Serah came into room, rubbing at one eye and clutching a stuff varren toy.

"Ma, I wanna story before nap time." She complained.

"Alright sweety. Go back to bed and I'll…"

"I want Sheppy to tell me a story about her adventures!" Sera huffed, pointing at Shepard.

Both Liara and Tevara looked at her, Tevara smiling as Shepard blushed. She adored the little girl but heavens she was demanding when she wanted to be. Still, she wasn't sure what kind of story she could tell her… she wasn't that good with kids.

"Please?" Serah begged, bottom lip pouting and clutching her stuffed toy against her chest.

"Alright, alright. Come on, let's get you tucked in." Shepard said, getting up and giving Liara an apologetic look before scooping up the little asari in her arms and taking her back to her room.

Tevara laughed and filled her glass with the last of the wine. She noticed the look on Liara's face and smirked over the rim of her glass. At one time, Tevara had entertained the idea of trying to start a relationship with Shepard, especially since her two daughters adored the woman but Shepard had been extremely reluctant to seek intimate relationships with anyone. Even Shi'ira tried and failed but… Tevara had been observing the looks Shepard and Liara exchanged. Constant side-long glances filled with wonder, confusion and desire. She snickered, which caught Liara's attention.

"Your daughters seem to enjoy Shepard's company." Liara said.

"They do, which always surprises me. Rebheka looks to her as a role model and Sera just loves her in general. She used to be such a shy girl until Shepard stumbled into our lives." Tevara replied thoughtfully.

"How did you two meet?"

"By sheer accident… or maybe it was luck for us both. I was on my way home when I was cornered by a couple of bare-faced turian thugs. Out of nowhere, this disheveled human suddenly attacked them both. She got hurt during the fight; took a knife in the gut but she beat the living hell out of both of them and sent them running. I took her to the hospital to get her injuries treated." The matron explained, setting her glass on the coffee table.

"Good heavens. I guess you were fortunate." Liara replied, a bit amazed by the story.

"I was. I didn't meet her again until a week later. She got thrown out of a bar and was getting the crap kicked out of her by a krogan when I happened by. When I offered to take her to the hospital, she mumbled something about doctors being complete bastards before she passed out so… I don't know why, but I brought her here."

Liara continued to listen to the story, surprised by the events that had transpired. Tevara had said when she met Shepard, the scarring was still raw, a bright pinkish color instead of the near-flesh tone it was now. Shepard had also been drinking and doing drugs but Tevara cared enough to try and help her and, eventually, it stuck. The Consort was the starting point of Shepard's rehabilitation and the two, despite difficulties through the early stages, remained friends.

"At first, I never thought Shepard would ever take my help but… I suppose I have to thank Serah for that." Tevara sighed, picking her glass back up.

"What do you mean?" Liara asked in curiosity.

"Well, I've been woken up often enough by Shepard screaming herself awake, usually on the floor after falling off the couch. One night, I guess Serah was having trouble sleeping and heard her thrashing about so… she gave Shepard one of her stuffed toys to sleep with and stayed with her all night. I woke up to find the two of them curled up on the floor. When I tried to wake Shepard up, Serah got mad at me."

"Serah's a brave little girl." Liara commented, smiling a bit.

"That she is... after I told Shepard what had happened, she suddenly changed her tune and decided to go see Shi'ira. I think she really likes Serah… and her and Rebheka warmed up to each other after she started getting better. We've been good friends since."

"Shepard is very fortunate to have met you."

"I suppose so… but then my father always said I had a weakness for the lost causes. Shepard didn't have to fight those two turians but she did so I felt I had to at least try my best to help her in return. I'm glad it worked out favorably for her." Tevara said with a smile, finishing her wine.

Shepard came back at the tail end of the conversation, a small smile on her face as she sat back down. They talked for a bit longer but the day was dragging on and Tevara had some errands to tend to. Shepard thanked her for letting them drop by, glad to catch up with her friend and Liara had fun as well. She learned things about Shepard that put the human in a different light for her, heart a flutter at the thought of Shepard's softer side being directed at her at some point… maybe.

As they walked to the nearest taxi station, Shepard's expression suddenly became serious and pensive, as if the good mood she was in moment before suddenly fled. Her steps slow and she gently placed a hand on Liara's shoulder to stop her.

"Liara… you don't have to come to Noveria." She said suddenly, her voice stern.

"Huh? Of course I want to go… I have to. I want answers from my mother and I'm only going to get them directly from her."

"There's a chance… Benezia might not let us take her alive. If what Shiala said about Saren is true…" Shepard started but she wasn't sure where to take the words, they just hung their ominously.

"I have thought of that scenario several times but that does not sway my decision. You will not deny me this, Laura."

"But…"

"I don't need a protector, Shepard. What more would it take for me to prove to you I am capable of handling this?" Liara huffed at her in irritation.

Shepard let out an explosive sigh and turned away from her, running a hand through her red hair. Her heart was thumping hard against her chest… but she wasn't sure why? Hell, she wasn't even sure why she brought this up with Liara in the first place. She was capable of handling herself in the field, of following orders… of being part of the team. She could handle the mission on Noveria but Shepard…. Shepard didn't want her to. She didn't want Liara there out of fear.

"Why bring this up now?" Liara asked… though it was more of a demand.

"I… I just want to be sure you're ready is all." Shepard replied evasively.

"You're lying. Tell me the truth."

The way Liara was looking at her, the way her brow crinkled as those blue eyes glared at her, the slight pout of her lips… jesus, the way she had her hands on her hips and slightly bent forward to lean into her personal bubble… this damned asari did funny things to her head and heart. She swallowed and looked away for a moment, ruffling her hair into an uneven mess.

"I… fuck. Alright, I just… I don't want you to go. I don't want to see your heart break in the worst case scenario. I've already done enough to you as is. I shouldn't be adding more to it." Shepard sighed, glancing at her nervously.

"We don't what's going to happen. I might be over-analyzing here but… it seems like there is a reason beyond simple concern that makes you bring up this matter." Liara said, taking a step closer to her.

Shepard froze, realizing how close the asari was to her. She could smell the wine on her breath, the smell of the med-bay still clung to her. She hadn't paid much attention before but seeing Liara in a simple shirt and pants instead of her lab uniform was quite… appealing. She immediately shook the thought for her head but it wouldn't let go. It just hung there, taunting her as the sound of her heart beating rapidly filled her ears.

What do you mean?" She asked tentatively.

"I've given it much thought and… I feel my interest in you goes beyond curiosity and the Prothean beacon. I… must admit, I feel we have a connection, Laura." Liara admitted, her cheeks turning dark again but keeping her eyes on the human this time.

"Well, that could be because we've melded…"

"I thought so as well but I… I believe I am very much attracted to you…" Liara replied, her words trailing off into a heavy silence.

They both stood there, staring at each other and trying to read each other's expressions as they sorted out their feelings. Laura found Liara was right, this was a very mutual attraction, one she had been keeping buried under her duties as a SPECTRE and only now was letting it surface. Her mouth suddenly felt dry and, reflexively, she licked her lips… an action Liara watched with a bit too much interest. Shepard had never put much thought in a relationship for years but now… with the opportunity before her, should she take it? Would she dare risk it?

"Liara… I don't know if I could… could be what you want or need." Shepard replied, breaking eye contact with her.

"And how would you know what I want or need?" Liara questioned.

"Fair enough… but why me? I fail to see what you would find appealing in me. Wrex is more good-looking than I am… and that's saying a lot."

"I've seen sides of you I think no one else has and despite what you think, you are quite beautiful and charming, Laura. Your scars do not repulse me. If anything… I find them alluring." Liara said, her voice soft and tinted with desire.

The asari reached a hand up to touch Shepard's face but hesitated, remembering how she had been very clear she did not like being touched. However, Shepard saw her motion and swallowed hard, giving a small nod of her head. Permission to continue. Her eyes closed when she felt the asari cup her cheek. Though her sensitivity on her left side was subdued to a degree, she could still feel the warmth of Liara's touch and it was… comforting. Liara was surprised that the woman didn't flinch away from her, though she could see the muscles in her throat were quite tense. After a few more seconds, Liara pulled her hand away and Shepard sighed.

"You're serious about this?" Shepard asked.

"Quite… but this isn't just my decision. Do you…" Liara replied, giving her a shy, hopeful smile.

"I'd be lying if I didn't say the thought crossed my mind more than once. But… I'll need time to get used to the idea and what goes along with it. Especially the… touching part." Shepard replied, starting to blush again.

"I understand and I will be patient. I think it'll be worth it. We should probably get back to the ship."

"Ya… sounds like a good idea. I'm beginning to think you like getting yourself into trouble, Dr. T'Soni." Shepard replied, lips curling in a smirk as they continued on.


	9. Little Wing

_Had a lot of... unfortunate things going on, so I lacked the urge to write for a while but finally got some more chapters done. Continued thanks to those that have reviewed and apologize if I have no replied. My internet has been pretty funky._

_EDIT 1: This chapter is pretty much the same, aside from the tail end. Mostly just grammatical edits. Also, changed it so Shepard kisses Liara instead of the other way around._

* * *

"You'll pay for this Shepard!" Anoleis screamed as Gianni dragged him away, people gossiping and gawking as Laura smirked smugly.

"The Council probably isn't gonna like hearing about this, Commander." Kaiden chided dubiously as the salarian kept yelling, voice fading slowly but surely.

"Oh well… he's lucky I didn't just out-right shoot him. He's already wasted our time and Benezia's had more than enough to shore her defenses. We better get to the MAKO and on our way before that storm outside gets worse." She retorted, shrugging him off.

With the garage pass in their possession, the team headed for the lower level to get on their way. Liara could feel her hands shaking, pulse thundering in her throat. She had thought she'd be prepared for this when they had landed but as soon as she had stepped off the Normandy with the rest of the team, all of that confidence had gone rushing out of her. The asari was so caught up in her own worries and nerves, she hadn't realized they had stopped until she ran right into Wrex's back.

"Careful." He warned in a low voice, turning to check on her.

Shepard was looking at the scanner on her omni-tool and there were blips all over the garage… blips that were confirmed by Tali to be geth. Apparently, commandoes weren't the only thing Benezia brought with her. The prospect of having to fight their way through geth forces to reach the labs, in the snow, with a storm going on, was not very appealing… especially since Shepard had been extremely adamant about driving the MAKO. Slowing pulling her rifle off her back, she signaled for the team to spread out and take positions… except for Liara. She beckoned the asari to stay near her as the rest of the team spread out. The chirping sounds of the geth started to echo across the garage.

"Laura… I don't need a guardian." Liara grumbled.

"I'm not protecting you… you're guarding me. Being a sniper is a bit danger…" Shepard started to explain but the eruption of gunfire interrupted her.

The geth had engaged but they were only standard units and a few of the pesky stealth ones that jumped around and crawled about on the walls. Liara tried but the gun… her hands were shaking so hard it was difficult to get a shot off. Shepard was attempting to pick off the stealth units but their rapid movements were making it difficult to get a shot off in time before they leapt away. One suddenly flanked her on the right and Liara barely caught sight of it on the edge of her field of vision. She shoved Shepard down, the shot narrowly missing her. The geth's body ripped apart as Liara hit it with a biotic blast… however, her heroics left her exposed and a geth trooper shot, the bullet ripping through her kinetic barriers and armor, spattering the container and part of Shepard's back with dark blue blood.

"Liara!" Shepard cried, grabbing her and pulling her down as panic gripped her chest tightly.

"I'm ok… it's just a scratch." Liara said, wincing and gritting her teeth as the wound hurt, hand clapped over it to stem the bleeding.

Shepard was already pulling her medi-gel kit from her belt, relaying what had happened to the rest of the team. Luckily, by the time she finished giving the information, the squad had cleaned up the last few geth in the garage. Once Liara was patched up and assured the Commander she was still fit to accompany them, everyone got in the MAKO and they made their way Peak 15.

* * *

Fighting through the geth hadn't been too bad… if Shepard hadn't nearly driven them off a cliff about a dozen times before they finally reached the entrance to Peak 15, which of course, was sealed off. Tali got through the security system but aside from a few more geth waiting for them, the place was oddly abandoned. The first station was eerily empty, with several windows broken that had let the snow in before the security shutters had come down.

"Something doesn't feel right about this place…" Ashley commented as they proceeded towards the station entrance.

Everyone jumped when there was rattling sound but there was nothing… likely just the air circulation or something falling loose at the wrong time. Shepard felt her chest pounding and swallowed down her nerves. Ashley's instinct were right; there was something wrong about this place.

"Commander… I'm getting an odd reading on the omni-tool… I can't tell where…" Tali announced but it was too late.

The creatures burst out from the floor and ceiling in ambush, screeching angrily. One slammed right into Shepard and carried her completely away from the group, tentacle throwing her to the ground and tumbling through the white snow. Her pistol had been tossed from her grasp, sitting a few feet from her left as she, slowly, picked herself up… only to find herself face to face with the creature.

It looked like some sort of crustacean, like a shrimp, with four spindly legs and a set of thin arms hanging under its head. A pair of long, prehensile tentacles swayed about, their ends like secondary mouths that split open and dripped with some sort of fluid. The creature raised its tentacles, revealing a circular mouth filled with razor sharp teeth, almost like a…. the flashback came fast and she found herself scrambling for her gun in a panic, brief flashes of snow becoming sand and the unnamed beast becoming something much larger.

The alien screamed and lunged as soon as it saw her scramble for her weapon, spindly legs knocking the weapon away as it slammed into her. Tentacles grabbed her and lifted her as if she weighed nothing. Stars sprang in front of her eyes as it threw her into a pile of crates, armor unable to absorb most of the impact. With another screech, it came charging at her and immediately pinned her down. Laura screamed in horror as she struggled to keep that tentacle mouth from biting down on her face, thick ropes of saliva getting all over her arms and chest as it thrashed about. Its flimsy arms and tentacles grabbed at her, slowly starting to over-power her as her strength started to wane. In desperation, Shepard scrambled for the blade on her belt and yanked it out of its holster and slashed wildly.

One of its flimsy arms came flying off in a spray of sickly green blood. It screamed, the sound making her ears ring but it only retreated back for a few seconds before it came back on the attack once more, completely berserk. Shepard only saw a massive blur of red slam into it, sending the two tumbling before she realized it was Wrex. Laura suddenly found herself being pulled up onto her feet and found herself looking at Kaiden.

"Commander! Are you ok?!" He asked, checking her for injuries.

Shepard didn't respond, simply stared blankly as she watched Wrex over-power the beast and end its shrieking with an echoing blast from his shotgun. It was suddenly quiet again and she looked around, noticing the corpses of the other creatures; five in total. Liara approached cautiously as Kaiden helped the woman sit down.

"W-what… what were those things?" She managed to blurt out after finding her voice.

"No idea. Never seen them before." Wrex commented, flicking a piece of flesh off his shoulder.

"Maybe it's something related to why Benezia is here." Liara commented quietly, a very sobering thought.

Once everyone one had caught their breaths, they continued on. Unfortunately, the railway was out of commission, thanks to the storms and those creatures running rampart. After getting the power and other required systems back online, they were finally able to reach the Peak 15 laboratories.

However, it seemed the place had its own troubles. The Hot Labs were sealed and Benezia had laid a trap for them. It seemed, this was indeed the source of those creatures, a biologically designed army for Saren but something had gone horribly wrong and now most of the workers and guards in Peak 15 had been killed. It became much more than fighting Benezia now… they had to make sure Saren did not get a hold of these beasts else the galaxy would have more to worry about than just an army of geth invading.

Before heading down to the labs, everyone took a few to rest and get their heads on straight… and it provided an opportunity for Shepard to talk with Liara. She was still worried about the asari's resolve… this was her mother they were about to confront and the likelihood of the situation ending peacefully were dwindling horribly. Liara glanced up at her when the Commander approached, knowing why she was here.

"I'll be fine, Shepard. You don't need to mother me." Liara said a bit tensely, trying to hide the tremors in her hands by crossing them over her chest.

"I… I just came to make sure you're ready. You can stay here if you want." She replied.

"I said I am going. You can't make me change my mind. I need to do this." Liara said adamantly.

Shepard didn't say anything further, simply nodded her head and walked away. Liara watched her with concern, having seen the haunted look in her eye. She was barely holding on by a thread and Shepard knew if it snapped… it was gonna be a long, long fall and no one would be there to catch her this time. She was certain that this time, it would consume her and there'd be no turning back. She clung desperately to her mission… the only thing keeping her tethered at this point… at least, she thought that's all she had. Thoughts of Liara kept springing to mind, of that conversation they had… of the possibility but no… no, she told herself; it could never be. It SHOULD never be… for Liara's sake.

"Alright team. Let's move out!" Shepard announced, steeling her resolve as she turned to face the entrance to the labs… and the path leading to Benezia.

* * *

The Matriarch was waiting for them, seemingly alone. No… not alone but standing beside a tank with a lone occupant. It looked like the creatures that had attacked them, except about four times that size. The matriarch regarded them coldly as the team took up positions in case of ambush… because Shepard was expecting Benezia to have more troops waiting. Beside her walked Liara, staring at her mother as a torrent of emotions ran through her.

"I see you brought my daughter… though it is of little consequence. You are already too late. Saren has what he needs to find the Conduit." Benezia replied coldly, showing she wasn't armed.

"Mother! How could you do this?!" Liara demanded angrily, voice breaking as she fought back tears.

"This is beyond your understanding, Liara. You are a… disappointment to me. You should have kept your head in the sand."

"Matriarch Benezia! Surrender and there doesn't have to be more bloodshed. Enough people have died because of Saren's madness." Shepard called, interrupting the exchange, gun trained on Benezia.

"Fools! You will not leave here alive!" She screamed, body flaring bright with biotics.

Liara dodged but Shepard caught in the stasis field, frozen completely in place as geth and commandos flooded in. Liara threw up a barrier until the stasis field wore off and Laura could duck behind cover. The fight was fierce and though they were out-numbered, Shepard's team slowly pushed back Benezia's forces. Liara, Wrex, and Kaiden worked together to counter the Matriarch's powerful biotic attacks to keep her from crippling the team while they picked off her forces one by one. Soon, it was only Matriarch Benezia left.

"Last chance Benezia!" Shepard called from behind her cover.

"Never! I will destroy you here Commander!" she screamed furiously.

Shepard rolled out of the way as her cover was obliterated and dashed right at Benezia, Kaiden and Garrus providing covering fire as she drew in close. However, biotics were not the only skill Matriarch Benezia had. The kick to her gut, even with her armor absorbing it, knocked the wind right out of Shepard's lungs and left her choking for air on all fours. A second kick connected with her jaw and sent her down on her side, spitting up blood. Shepard suddenly found herself lifted in the air by her biotics before the air itself started to feel like it was pressing down on her from all sides. She screamed as the pain steadily increased, barely able to breathe.

"Saren will praise your death and his glorious purpose wil…." Beneza started, only to hesitate for a moment, eyes widening.

Her biotics flared, then flickered before completely dissipating, dropping Shepard on the ground and leaving her gasping for air. Benezia placed a hand over her stomach, a stain of dark blue growing on the fabric. Shepard looked up to find Liara standing there, pistol shaking in her hand, tears in her eyes. The weapon dropped from her hand as it sank in what she had done… that she had killed her own mother to protect Laura.

"L-Liara… what… by the Goddess, what have I done?" Benezia gasped as she staggered back into the tank, free hand braced against the console.

The rest of the team came up on the platform, Kaiden and Ashley helping Shepard to her feet. They all stood there, staring at her in disbelief. Benezia looked confused, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them again, blue eyes steely and focused solely on Shepard.

"I… don't have long. I already feel him calling… voice at my ear, claws at my spine, calling to me… Saren was after, nngh… coordinates." Benezia coughed, blood starting to pool under her as she, slowly, pulled a data disk from her clothes.

"Coordinates? For what?" Shepard asked warily.

"A lost mass relay. It… augh… will lead him to the Conduit. He has all the pieces he… augh, needs but… be careful." She continued, breath shuddering.

"Wait, let us patch you up…" Shepard started, reaching for a medi-gel kit.

"NO! I… I am beyond saving. His ship, Sovereign… it makes you believe his words, his purpose… it warps your mind. I thought I could… steer him from his path but I… was ensnared instead." Benezia protested, her breathing getting shallower and her blue skin starting to pale.

Her eyes fell on Liara and a soft smile came to her face, completely different than what she had been a few moments ago. Liara was struggling with the tears in her eyes, the sobs caught in her throat… her chest ached but this was the only outcome to happen. Benezia just kept smiling though.

"Little Wing… I am so proud of you… there's… there is no light… I thought…." Benezia said, her final words followed by a long, soft sigh as she slumped and her eyes fell shut, entire body limp.

A strangled sob escaped Liara and she collapsed onto her hands and knees. The team was there to console her and Shepard wanted to as well, but her eyes spotted the data disk in the Matriarch's hand and she, cautiously, approached to pick it up. As soon as she straightened back up, the creature in the tank moved, pressing its tentacles against the glass. The sound and action startled everyone but the thing was locked inside. Still… they had no idea what it was. None of the survivors at the labs seemed to know what it was called.

"We should report this thing to the Council, have them dispose of it." Kaiden suggested.

"Ya, communications should be…" Shepard replied, bringing up her omni-tool only to stop mid-sentence and stare in disbelief.

One of the commando's corpses began to stir, haltingly rising up in an unnatural fashion. Liara's grief was quickly set aside and everyone had their guns on it, except for Shepard. She stared in disturbed amazement as the body limped towards the tank before turning to face them. Her eyes were rolled back in her head and she was shaking. She glanced at the creature in the tank, then at the body.

_This one… serves as our voice. We cannot sing… not in these low spaces. Your music is colorless to us._

"Sing… wait, who is speaking? You in the tank?" Shepard asked, a bit stunned.

_Yes. Your songs are strange… flat. They do not color the air. When we sing, one song moves all. I am the last mother of the children whose song you thought silenced. We are Rachni._

"Rachni?!" Wrex exclaimed, immediately switching his gun's aim to the tank.

"Rachni? Wait… how are you even speaking through her? She's dead." Shepard asked, motioning for Wrex to relax, not that he listened.

_We sing through touching of thoughts… minds. We pluck the strings and the other understands. She is weakening… her song ending. She has colors we have no names for… it is bittersweet and beautiful._

"But the Rachni were wiped out hundreds of years ago. Where did you come from?" Laura demanded.

_We do not know… only that we floated in darkness until we were birthed here. The others… they stole our children before they learned to sing. They are lost to the silence… please, end their empty songs. They are beyond saving and will only cause more harm… more destruction._

"There are more? What exactly was going on here?" Shepard questioned, trying to glean as much information as she could to take back to the Council.

_They took our eggs! They sought to turn the children into beasts of war… claws with no songs of their own to sing._

"Without their mother, the young have run rampart. They're probably scared out of their minds." Tali said sadly.

"Like a child who has lost their parents in a crowd." Ashley added a bit sympathetically.

Shepard was weighing the exchange in her head. So, Saren had been trying to breed a Rachni army to use but had, utterly, failed… but it seemed, the Rachni, somehow, had coordinates to a mass relay Saren needed but why? If he needed a specific relay to reach the Conduit, then it had to be one that had remained undiscovered by the Council (which was really unlikely) or its location had been moved and subsequently lost over the years. They were a step closer to Saren… to stopping him.

_We stand before you now, song of our fate unsung. Will you release us or… shall we fade into silence once more?_

At first, the question didn't register in her head but Shepard realized she was standing in front of the control panel for the tank. She looked at the alien, then up, noticing canisters strapped to it.

"There's enough acid in those things to completely dissolve the Queen. Do it Shepard. The Rachni nearly destroyed the galaxy once before." Wrex growled, most of the team agreeing with her.

"Do you remember anything about the Rachni Wars?" She asked, looking directly at the queen.

_We only know the songs passed on… one of oily shadows and pale, yellow notes. An unnatural song… a dangerous song. It steadily grows louder with the songs of war and bloodshed… it touched the minds of this one and the rest… and it will consume more._

Something about her response made her head ache but also struck a chord deep inside Shepard's mind. This Rachni, stood before her, completely at her mercy… begging. Shepard bit her bottom lip, glancing at the panel, then back up at the canisters on the tank. It would be easier for everyone if she killed her… end the Rachni before they could even begin again. Her hand shook as it hovered over the button and then she looked up at the Rachni in the tank. It stared back at her, pleading… waiting. Shepard hesitated for a few more seconds and then let out an explosive breath and touched the button.

The tank lifted and the Rachni made a surprised sound, staring at her and moving as if confused and bewildered. The asari suddenly collapsed as the Rachni released her. Once the tank was in position, the door slid open. The Rachni looked it, then back at Shepard.

"Don't make me regret this." She said softly, staring back at her with a weak smile.

The Rachni made a soft sound before scurrying away. She turned to the accusing stare of Wrex and the others.

"How could you let that Rachni go?! Now it'll be the Rachni Wars all over again in the next decade!" Wrex nearly roared.

"Could you punish one for the sins of another, Wrex?" She said wearily, staring him in the face. "She deserved a chance to make amends."

"The blood they spill will be on your hands, Shepard." The krogan snarled.

The trip back to the main labs was quiet and uncomfortable. No one really felt like talking, not with Benezia's death hanging over them like a heavy blanket. Tali was hanging close to Liara as they took a moment to collect themselves. Shepard, however, had other ideas. The Hot Labs still needed to be dealt with but if it was full of those berserk Rachni… having the whole team down there would be dangerous. Someone would have to go down and move fast… minimalize casualties.

"Shepard?" Kaiden asked, noticing she was now several steps behind them, lost in thought.

"You guys head back to the Normandy. I'll… catch up with you." Shepard said, glancing back at the Hot Lab doors, thinking she saw someone standing at the door for a moment.

"You sure Commander?" Kaiden pressed worriedly, the rest of the crew listening to the exchange.

"I can handle the Hot Labs myself." She replied before turning her back to them and heading for the hot labs.

It was oddly silent but Shepard was hearing sounds… she had since that initial encounter with the Rachni. The winds blowing over the sands, the hum of machinery, the chaotic and horrified screams. It never bothered her how vivid the memory was nor the fact she could remember every detail with startling clarity, down to the smell of burning flesh that was coming from her. As she was approaching the elevator, she blinked and for a moment, she saw a soldier standing there with armor stained in blood and dirt, face covered by their helmet. When she had first seen it years ago, it had confused and terrified her but she knew what it meant now and it was… odd to see it again. Perhaps it was because she couldn't do the one thing everyone had tried to get her to do; let go.

"Laura!" Liara called out to her, panting as she came to halt, having run all the way from the tram station.

"Liara? What the hell are you doing here? I told everyone to go back…"

"I know but you need someone with you for this. There's too many Rachni for you to get away unscathed." The asari argued, glaring at the human.

"I don't need anyone for this. You'll just get in my way." Shepard said aggressively.

"Someone has to keep you from getting yourself killed." Liara huffed, heading towards the elevator ahead of her.

The haunting figure was no longer there but Shepard just glared at Liara's back until the asari turned around, waiting for her. Muttering a swear under her breath, she got into the elevator and slammed her hand against the button to send it down to the labs. They refused to speak or even look at each other.

The labs were empty, except for one man sitting at a desk, looking weary. He seemed surprised that someone had come down but he didn't bother getting up. He just sat slumped in his chair, telling them about how controlling the rachni spawn had gone horribly wrong… that they couldn't escape or they'd destroy all of Noveria and spread into the galaxy. That could not happen at any cost. There was a purge sequence set up but before the man could give them the code, a Rachni tore him to pieces as it came lunging through the ducts. Shepard and Liara made quick work of it but it was too late, the man was dead.

"Fuck… please have them..." Shepard muttered as she searched the body.

After a few minutes of going through his pockets, she found the code for the purge sequence. Both hurried to the next room and accessed the VI to initiate the sequence. As soon as the machine hummed to life, the screams of countless rachni echoed through the vents and they could hear them skittering in the vents and under the floor, converging on this once place.

"Fuck. Run!" Shepard shouted at Liara, shoving her out of the room as the countdown started up.

Like a tidal way, the Rachni burst from the vents in the floor and the ceiling, flooding the room with their piercing screams and bodies filling every inch of empty space. Liara used her biotics to cut a path, throwing the Rachni into each other but there were too many to fight.

_**10…**_

"Go!" Shepard screamed, shoving the asari ahead of her, using her shotgun on any that made a grab for them.

_**9…**_

Too many bodies were pressing on them and it was suffocating. Liara surged forward but Sheaprd's foot was caught by a Rachni and nearly yanked down to the ground. One of the hideous creatures got between them, cutting Shepard off from the elevator.

_**8…**_

"LAURA!" Liara screamed when she turned around to barely see Shepard being buried by the Rachni.

_**7…**_

"GO!" Shepard roared at her as she tore another of the tentacles off of her, feeling them ripping through armor and flesh, crimson blood pooling and mixing with the Rachni's underneath her.

_**6…**_

Shepard was dragged down, Rachni stepping on her and thrashing about. She caught glimpse of the bloodied soldier hallucination earlier, the ringing in her ears now a loud roar but she wasn't afraid, even when the visor lifted, revealing the twisted maw of a Rachni as it came lunging at her.

_**5…**_

It took a few seconds for Shepard to register she was being dragged away, hot blood splashed on her face though it wasn't her own. She was alive, hurt but alive. Liara used her biotics to shove the Rachni swarming over her and drag her into the elevator. The effort had been incredibly taxing but she was safe… that was all that mattered.

_**4…**_

The Rachni screamed and banged on the door, determined to get through as the elevator started its ascension to the main labs. Shepard lay there, panting in stunned disbelief. Somehow, she was both relieved and angry all at the same time but her body refused to move.

_**3…**_

"Laura? Laura, please say something." Liara demanded in a panic, shaking the human. There was so much blood…

_**2…**_

"L-Liara?" Shepard replied, staring at the asari as if she didn't recognize her.

_**1…**_

The explosion rocked the elevator, startling them both. Shepard was snapped back to reality and the first thing she felt was anger. She had come done here with the expectation she was not going to make it but… damn that asari.

When they got back to the main labs, Sheaprd stormed out and then rounded on Liara, her eyes bright with fury. Her expression was more frightening given the fact that she had green and red blood flecked across her face. Liara tried to distract her ire by pointing out the wounds leaking blood out of the damage to her armor but she ignored it.

"You could have been killed down there!" Shepard yelled at her.

"And you would have been killed if I didn't come with you! You'd have never come back from that!" Liara protested, stunned by the woman's anger.

"That was not your call!"

"And what, you expected me to just sit there and wait for you to never come back? After I laid my heart bare to you and you did to me?" Liara snapped back at her, getting right up in her face.

Shepard stared at her, into those crystalline eyes and she saw her reflection. The anger turned in on itself and became doubt and fear but not like before. Before, she was afraid of living… Shepard felt she didn't deserve it when better people than her had died right before her eyes. But now… now she realized that her selfish decision nearly got Liara killed. Blue blood was streaked across her armor, minor cuts and bruises forming on what little exposed skin she could see. Something inside her snapped and a feral growl left Shepard's throat as she pushed Liara into the nearest wall, pinning the asari up against it with her body. Liara gasped, fear gripping at her as she saw the dark, wild look in Shepard's eyes. She was helplessly trapped against the woman, using biotics to shove her away far from her mind.

What she didn't expect was the red-head to push her mouth against her own, tasting of iron blood. She felt the human place one hand on her hip and the other slip between her back and the wall, gloved fingers pressing into the base of her crest as she held her in place. The action… kissing if she recalled correctly, made her head spin with a variety of emotions as Liara struggled with how to respond. She felt the human's tongue brush against her closed lips and a growl of frustration before she felt Shepard press her armor thigh between her legs. Liara let out a surprised gasp at the pressure, allowing the human's tongue to invade her mouth. The action was alien to her but not unwelcome and she tried to reciprocate the action in turn, her heart hammering against her chest and breath constantly catching in her throat.

Then, as quickly as it happened, Shepard's pace slowed, lips lingering against Liara's as she breathed loud and heavy, moving her back just far enough so she could look the woman in the eye. Her grip relaxed but she didn't move from her position, keeping Liara between her and the wall. Her eyes widened in realization about what had just happened.

"Oh fuck."


	10. Damn Her Eyes

_I've pretty much reworked how the romance between Liara and Shepard works... which is pretty fun. Story's about to have a major shift in atmosphere here soon, so enjoy the sweet fluff for now._

_*For those who remember Admiral Kohaku from the first game, you'll know where the next chapter is going._

_EDIT 1: Tweaks to the sappiness going on between Liara and Shepard in the aftermath of Noveria. The conversation about the kiss was moved to Shepard's quarters instead of the med-bay, since now Liara initiates the conversation instead of Shepard. And no consulting Tevara… yet anyway._

* * *

"What did you fucking do Shepard?"

She had been thinking that over and over again since she and Liara made that awkward return to the Normandy. Now, she was in her quarters, wracking her brain over what just had happened days ago. She had kissed the asari… but it wasn't just a simple press of lips and done. It had been a full blown passionate invasion and Shepard wasn't sure how to handle the situation now. They had barely spoken the few times their paths crossed and it was getting extremely awkward now whenever the asari approached her. Shepard was too embarrassed to be anywhere near Liara and always dug up an excuse to leave the room and hide in her quarters. However, the avoidance did not last for very long.

Liara managed to catch Shepard in her private sanctuary and blocked the door, though not intentionally. Shepard was sitting at her desk when the asari caught her. There was no avoiding the topic now.

"Shepard… you've been avoiding me for the past week. I… I really want to talk about what happened on Noveria, in the hot labs." Liara said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I… I couldn't dodge it forever. Liara, I just… I'm not sure what to make of what… happened." Laura sighed, running her fingers through her hair, a peculiar habit Liara was noticing she did when stressed.

"Yes… I have been quite confused though, mostly because you've spent this whole time avoiding me. Does what happened… bother you?" Liara asked nervously, starting to wring her hands together.

"In several ways, yes. I… I put you in danger because I was feeling stupidly reckless… and maybe I didn't want to come back. I realize now that was a foolish thing to think… I haven't had thoughts like that in a long time." Shepard admitted, avoiding the asari's gaze.

"And what about what happened afterwards? You… well… kissed me."

"Ya… been thinking about that too. I shouldn't have… lost control like that. I'm not sure what came over me then…" Shepard muttered, eyes flitting back to her terminal's screen.

Shepard's gaze shot up when Liara moved around her desk and sat on the edge of it, hands braced on the edge and legs crossed. She was wearing her lab uniform, as usual but Shepard couldn't bring herself to look on the asari. Those raw feelings were still swirling about and she was having a hard time keeping her mind focused on anything but how that kiss had made her feel so… alive! That, and they both had openly admitted their attractions to each other before then. It had been a lot to process and she still wasn't sure if that had actually happened.

"What you said before we went into the labs… about how you felt about me… was that a lie?" Liara asked, sadness laced in her voice.

"Of course not!" Shepard snapped at her, pushing up to her feet and startling them both with her vehement protest.

Shepard wavered a little and blushed, looking down at the ground and running her fingers through her hair yet again. This was such a mess… she wasn't sure what to think now and it was making her head hurt.

"I… that wasn't a lie, Liara. I do care about you a great deal and… but I just don't know what I'm supposed to do. Between the Council breathing down my neck and Saren always one fucking step ahead of us…" Shepard growled in agitation.

Her words stopped when she felt a slight weight on her shoulder, turning her head to look at Liara. The asari gave her a weak smile, understanding that Shepard was under a great deal of stress. So much was going on… things were coming to the climax fast. Noveria had weighed heavily on them… but it seemed Shepard seemed to be taking the brunt of it. Though Liara had mourned the loss of her mother and the fact that it had been her hands that had killed her, Shepard had had to deal with the Council lecturing her on leaving the Rachni Queen alive… and then to have Wrex ride her back about it again. The entire crew was on edge and it was getting to the red-head in a bad way.

"Do you want to talk?" Liara asked her.

"About what? Us? This is all kinda new to me still…" Shepard started to reply but Liara shook her head.

"It doesn't have to be about… us. You seem to have a lot on your mind. I've been told… venting? It's supposed to help relieve stress to a degree." The asari offered to her.

"Alright… well the Council…"

Shepard went on and on for about an hour or so, Liara wasn't sure. All she did was listen to Shepard get everything off her chest, ranging from the Council to how Joker kept using their resources to access questionable extranet websites. When she was finally finished, Shepard felt a bit better. She slouched back in her chair, looking a bit more relaxed. Liara was glad she had loosened up a bit and was a bit more of her… usual self? She couldn't tell if the human was actually happy right now.

"Thanks… didn't realize I needed that. I feel much better for some reason… sorry to lay that out on you like that. So much shit's going on… hard to keep my head on straight." Shepard sighed, giving her a lop-sided smile.

"I'm glad I could help. I can't imagine how you've managed this so far." Liara replied.

"I'm just making this shit up as I go and hoping I don't get bit in the ass about it later. Now… maybe we should talk about… this 'us' thing."

"We don't have to now, Laura. You've talked quite a bit…"

"No, I need to apologize first and foremost. I shouldn't have avoided you like some stupid school-girl with a crush. I know what I did on Noveria was… um… was that your first kiss?" Shepard asked her, blushing faintly.

"Um… yes." Liara admitted, also starting to blush.

"Well fuck, screwed that up too, didn't I?" Shepard sighed, fingers in her hair again.

"I wouldn't say that. It was just… rather intense." Liara admitted, unable to help the smile on her face as she thought about it, something Shepard noticed.

"At least you won't forget it, eh? Anyway, um… maybe we should start from the beginning?"

"The beginning?" Liara questioned, watching Shepard get up from her seat and move closer to her.

"I give you a nice compliment… like how you have beautiful eyes. You know, heart-endearing stuff like that." Shepard chuckled.

"Now you're just making fun of me."

"Why would I do that? I honestly have no idea how to do this. I haven't… dated anyone since I was about eighteen. I was much better looking back then." Shepard shrugged, running her fingers through her hair.

Liara watched how the red strands flowed between her fingers and settled over her scalp, some sticking up in place. It looked kinda silly with how much she had been messing with it. Liara bit her bottom lip, wanting to run her fingers through it, feel what it felt like but she didn't want to just run her hands through it and startle the woman. Shepard noticed her lip bite and gave her a quizzical look.

"Has anyone mentioned you look very cute when you bite your lip like that?" She commented, unable to move her gaze from the asari's mouth.

"What?! I… no. That's absurd. Besides… you keep messing with your hair. It's all over the place… and I might have wanted to touch it for a while now." Liara replied shyly.

"Oh? Right, humans are the only species you've met with a head of hair. I… well, if you want to touch it, go ahead." Shepard told her, bowing forward a little in open invitation.

Liara blushed and hesitated, having not expected for Shepard to be so… receptive to the idea. Cautiously, she picked a strand of hair hanging loose next to her ear and ran it between her thumb and forefinger. The texture was smooth and she noted that the strands were not all the same color. They were various shades of red and brown, combined together to make the over-all color of Shepard's messy mane. Hair was such a fascinating thing and, feeling more confident, Liara ran her fingers through it much like Shepard had done earlier, finger tips brushing against her scalp. Shepard tensed for a moment but as the asari combed her fingers through Shepard's hair to put it back in order, she found comfort in the asari's touch.

"There. Thank you for indulging me. It is… quite fascinating. Asari don't have hair at all. I understand it's an evolutionary trait of your species?" She asked, eyes alight.

"Ya. We're actually still covered in hair. I think most get it lasered off these days." Shepard laughed.

"What? Really? Well I suppose there wouldn't be a use for it anymore since you wear clothes. Wait, all over?" Liara questioned, giving Shepard a once over before blushing, thoughts wandering into a realm they probably shouldn't.

"Well… yes. You made that awkward fast, Liara." Shepard mumbled, her ears turning red.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. Would it help if I complimented your eyes? The shade of green is very… lovely."

"Good call… however mine are nothing compared to yours, Liara. Every time I look at them… my knees feel weak. They're beautiful… you're beautiful." Shepard said, stepping closer and her voice oddly soft.

The way the human was looking at her, green eyes filled with longing and a shy smile tugging on the corners of her mouth… not even the scarring could hamper how it made her heart flutter and her stomach clench. She stumbled over words, trying to find something equally romantic to say to her but, ultimately, failing to do so. She mumbled, face turning a dark purplish blue as her blush grew out of her control. She reached out and brushed her fingertips against Shepard's exposed scarring on her left arm and the woman flinched back out of reflex. Shepard blinked and scowled slightly, displeased a bit with herself.

"Sorry. This is still taking some… adjustment." Shepard apologized.

"It's ok. I don't want to make you uncomfortable Laura."

"You don't have to worry about making me uncomfortable Liara. Never." Shepard whispered to her as she leaned closer.

Liara found herself slack jacked as the Commander pressed her lips gently against Liara's for a few, fleeting moments before she pulled away to gauge the asari's reaction. They stared at each other for a moment longer before Liara was able to find words again.

"Wow. That was… different from last time." Liara muttered in amazement.

"Ya… it was. I at least should make up for an unpleasant first kiss." Shepard chuckled.

"It wasn't unpleasant just… unexpected. The way you, um, used your tongue… is that a normal thing for humans? Admittedly, I've never really kissed anyone before." Liara asked in curiosity.

"Kinda. It can be rather… pleasant. No one had the 'birds and the bees' talk with you, did they?"

"The… what?"

"Nevermind. I guess Benezia never really explained about courting, did she?" Shepard asked, immediately messing up her hair again.

"I had an education about sexuality and reproduction but… I suppose they skipped over the courting part. You avoided my question." Liara replied.

"I know, I was just curious… though I didn't really know about a lot of things until I stumbled through high school. Puberty was a weird period of my life. Anyway… the tongue thing is normal, I think. It always has been for me… though not everyone is good at it." Shepard admitted sheepishly.

"Was… um… I…" Liara stumbled shyly.

"Huh? Oh you were… I was surprised but then I also wasn't thinking straight." Shepard replied.

"Could we… do it again?"

Shepard blinked, wondering if she had heard her right but the way Liara was looking at her, bottom lip tucked under her teeth, blue eyes full of shyness and desire… her head started to spin a bit and her mouth suddenly felt dry. She remembered how the asari's tongue had floundered against her own, the mild aftertaste of human blood… the warmth. Shepard hadn't realized her mind had wandered until she felt Liara touch her arm to get her attention. Liara was expecting an answer.

"Why not? I'll… go easy this time. If it gets too weird, just let me know." She replied, leaning in close.

Liara closed the distance between them, one hand braced on Shepard's shoulder and following the human's lead. She gasped when she felt teeth gently brush against her bottom lip, and then the wet slide of Shepard's tongue following after. Time seemed to stand still as the asari found herself 'educated' on the wonders of kissing. As she grew more comfortable, Liara pushed off from the desk, pressing herself closer to Shepard. The human tensed up yet again and she felt the woman's jaw clench. She started to pull away but she suddenly felt the human's hand slip behind her head and pull her back. Though Shepard didn't kiss her immediately, she could feel the human's breath on her lips.

"I like having you close…"

She couldn't help the smile on her face as the Commander… _her_ Commander, kissed her again. She, cautiously, placed her hands on Shepard's hips and felt the woman shift closer, giving her a hum of approval. She was glad the human was becoming more comfortable with being close to her and being touched. It was paving the road for… more. The thought made Liara giddy and she broke out in a smile against Shepard's mouth. However, the moment wasn't going to last as long as the last few as they were interrupted by the door hissing open and Ashley letting herself in, datapad in hand.

"Hey skipper, I wanted to check with yooo… oh. Am I interrupting?" Ashley teased when she realized she just caught the two of them.

"Fuck. Ashely, don't you knock?" Shepard snapped in embarrassment, taking a step back from Liara as her face and ears went red.

"I remember you, distinctly, saying we could drop in on you at any time unless the door is lock. If you two are gonna start snogging, maybe you should lock the door?" Ashley laughed.

"Keep your mouth shut… especially to Joker." Shepard said in a commanding voice, pointing her finger at Ashley.

"What do I get in return?"

"Really Ashley? You're going to black-mail your commanding officer?" Shepard sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Nah, just fuckin' with you. So… took you two long enough to hook up. Guess I'm winning all those credits." Ashley jested, grinning openly.

"Credits… wait, what?"

"Oh, we just had a friendly bet going on about when you two would finally stop mooning over each other. I had three months. Kaiden's gonna be so disappointed." The woman laughed, completely forgetting why she came here in the first place.

"I'm going to chuck all of you out of the air lock." Shepard growled, ears a bright red now and Liara just frozen in place.

"Awww, don't be like that. I'm happy for you two… just lock the door next time. God forbidden Pressley walks in here and has a heart-attack." Ashley said, leaving the room finally.

There was an awkward silence and Liara realized she had forgotten to breath and took a deep breath, coughing a bit. Shepard gave her a concerned look but she assured the woman she was ok. Once that had settled, they gave each other a nervous laugh and Shepard ran her fingers through her hair yet again.

"Well… that just happened. Great. The whole ship is gonna know within a few hours. I'll never hear the end of it from Joker." Shepard sighed.

"They would have found out eventually." Liara sighed with equal weariness.

Before they could continue, Joker interrupted with an announcement that a call from an Alliance officer was waiting for her. Shepard growled a swear and told him she'd be there in a few minutes and gave Liara an apologetic look.

"Don't be sorry, Laura. I… enjoyed our time together so far. I hope there will be… more of it." The asari said with a smile.

"Oh, I plan on it. Every chance we can take… speaking of which. Once we're back on the Citadel, would you like to… go on a date with me? A proper one." Shepard asked, still looking a bit miffed.

They both stood there, staring at each other in silence, the atmosphere from before creeping back. That kiss they just shared… neither could stop thinking about it and the desire to do it again was ensnaring them both. Liara cleared her throat, breaking the spell. She smoothed out the wrinkles in her lab coat and smiled Shepard.

"I should let you get back to work. We can… pick this up another time?" She replied, letting the suggestion hang there.

"Oh, right… work. Ugh, I hate work. I'd rather just kiss you for a few more hours." Shepard complained despite her smirk.

"As… enjoyable as that would be, you have your duties as Commander to tend to." Liara reminded her.

Before leaving, Liara gave Shepard one last, chaste kiss before leaving her quarters. The woman just stood there, thinking over what just happened and marveling at how she could still feel the warmth of Liara's lips on her own. A giddiness filled her the more she thought about it… until she remembered that there was a call waiting for her on the CIC deck. Sighing heavily, she combed her hair back into place and went up to the CIC deck.

"Admiral Kohaku, what can I do for you today?"


	11. Terror Reborn

_And... tragedy and fluffiness mixed together. Mostly more side story stuff involving the side mission for Admiral Kohoku. I was actually kinda surprised they didn't play more on it for Shepards with the Survivor background... since the two incidents are related._

_Anyway, continued thanks for the reviews and favs and hope to see more._

_EDIT 1: Yay, Thresher Maw encounter. This chapter remains intact for the most part, just some adjustments to fit with all the previous changes… and removed the whole scene with the showers. I didn't like it upon on a second read through._

* * *

__Signal's definitely coming from Edolus, Commander. You think something happened down there?" Joker asked as he looked at the monitors in front of him.

"Seems to be a standard Alliance distress beacon… but do a broad sweep anyway to make sure someone isn't hanging around. I'd rather not stumble into an ambush." Shepard replied, looking at the display with scrutiny.

"Will do. I'll send a copy of the signal to Tali. She might catch something our instruments may not. Are you still going to go down there?"

She didn't reply, which was a pretty standard signal for 'yes' to Joker. Ever since they got that message, the entire crew had noticed she had become quite tense and paranoid. She headed for the cargo bay, ignoring the salutes and greetings she got from everyone she passed by. When the elevator dropped her off, Shepard found everyone waiting around, completely suited up.

"Joker able to find anything, Commander?" Kaiden asked.

Once word had gotten out that Shepard and Liara were 'together' , Kaiden had become very… platonic, not that Shepard minded the change all that much. It was actually a relief, since she didn't have to deal with his not so subtle flirting during their conversations any longer. He looked a bit upset that he had lost out to Liara but he seemed better focused on the task at hand now instead of pursuing Shepard's affections.

"No one's responding to our hails, so assume the worst, hope for the best right now. Our priority is to gather intel on the fate of the recon team and rescue survivors, if any." Shepard replied in announcement, looking everyone over.

"What were they doing down there?" Garrus asked in curiosity.

"No idea yet. Hopefully we'll figure that out. We'll be doing a drop in the MAKO about ten klicks from the signal's origin."

There was a collective groan at the news of doing a drop in the MAKO, everyone knowing that Shepard was going to drive. She huffed at them, a little embarrassed they were so disapproving of her driving skills. She wasn't THAT bad… just the MAKO's handling was shit. Everyone reluctantly got into the vehicle and buckled in. Once Joker gave the all clear for the drop, the MAKO rolled out of the cargo bay and into free-fall. Luckily, the landing wasn't as jarring as it usually was… much to everyone else's relief.

Shepard stopped the MAKO at the top of the ridge and asked Garrus to get into the gunner seat and do a sweep of the area. She could make out the beacon and a MK sitting out in the middle of a massive flat land but no signs of life… a fact the turian confirmed for her. Once he gave the all clear, Shepard set the vehicle in motion again and brought them down closer. Once they were by the tank, everyone got out and secured the perimeter before starting their search.

"Looks like the team's dead… and been dead for a while. There's barely anything left." Ashley commented sadly after investigating one of the corpses lying in the dirt.

"What the hell happened here? None of this damage looks like it was by any weapon I've ever seen." Garrus commented as he and Wrex were inspecting the tank.

Shepard came around to see what they were looking at and saw the severe damage to the tank's plating. There were burns that had eaten their way down to the interior but most of it had left the side pitted pretty badly. There were also large rips along the side… like something had torn into it. Something felt eerily familiar about these damage patterns to her but she shook it off... not wanting to think about.

"Commander!" Tali called, hovering near the beacon with her omni-tool out.

"Find something Tali?" Shepard replied as she walked over to the quarian.

"Ya… a second signal started broadcasting a few seconds ago. It's a low frequency and doesn't seem to be targeted at anything specific…"

_"There's a second low frequency being played. I can't tell where it's coming from but its somewhere in the colony."_

The beacon suddenly burst in a shower of sparks, Tali swearing as she ducked out of the way. Shepard had her shotgun out, unloading the weapon until it overheated and left the beacon in an inoperable mess.

"Keelah! The hell was that for, Shepard?!" Tali demanded in panic.

Liara and the others congregated around and the asari was the first to notice that Shepard was shaking and nearly all of the color in her face gone. Something had set her off… something bad. Shepard's jaw trembled as she struggled to make words. Seconds ticked by like minutes as she fought against the tide threatening to swallow her.

"Commander?" Kaiden asked, gingerly touching her shoulder to get her attention.

"H-hail the Normandy… now! Immediate evac…" She said in a choked voice.

"What's going on?" Ashley asked, everyone now starting to pick up on Shepard's paralyzed behavior.

Shepard suddenly snapped back when the ground gave a small shake, something only Wrex seemed to take notice of. The flashbacks were making it hard to concentrate; one second she was staring at her team, the next she was back on Akuze, standing amongst the corpses of her decimated team. It was all too much… the fear and panic had a hold of her and it refused to let go.

"A-akuze…" Was all she managed to mutter, pupils dilated far enough where her irises were barely visible.

"Oh no… everyone to the MAKO! We're in severe danger here!" Liara announced, suddenly realizing what was going on as she grabbed Shepard and pulled her towards the vehicle.

The ground gave a violent shake, rumbling louder and louder until it suddenly exploded a few dozen meters from them. A Thresher Maw came howling out, pointed arms digging into the ground to support its massive body. Shepard took one look at it and everything came back, the scream that left her throat lost to the beast's own terrible music. Liara had to drag her behind the tank for safety. Wrex, on the other hand, called for someone to help him with the MAKO, a call Ashley answered and followed after the hulking alien.

"Ground team to Normandy! Dammit Joker, respond!" Kaiden called, ducked behind the tank along with Garrus, Tali, and Liara."

"What's going on down there?" Joker asked in response.

"We've got a Thresher Maw on us! We need support and prep for evac fast!" Kaiden shouted as the creature screamed again, obviously searching for them.

Liara peeked out from around the tank when she heard the MAKO roaring to life, wheels kicking up a fierce spray of dirt as it gunned away from the Thresher Maw, guns opening fire on the beast. It screeched, turning its attention to the MAKO before giving chase by burrowing into the ground. Liara had looked into these creatures, but none of the information had prepared her for just how massive that beast was. Picturing three of those monsters attacking all at once…

"Where's Shepard?!" Kaiden shouted, realizing that she wasn't with them.

"Over here!" Liara shouted.

The rest of the team came to where Liara had hid Shepard by the MK tank. The woman was vacant eyed and shaking. There were tears streaked down her face and when Kaiden tried to get close, she immediately cringed away, pulling the left side of her body away from any possible contact. Liara approached her cautiously as the others watched with worry.

"Shepard… Shepard I'm right here." She said, grabbing the woman's hand and squeezing, hoping she felt the contact through her gloves. "Come back to me, please." She pleaded.

There was a slight response; a shift in her breathing, her eyes suddenly looking up. Liara gave her a small smile and stroked her fingers through the human's hair. Shepards's eyes were full of fear and vulnerability. She jumped and clung to the asari when the Normandy swooped in, cannons ripping into the ground as it opened fire on the Thresher Maw. The beast howled and quickly burrowed underground in retreat, deciding the effort wasn't worth it. Once Tali confirmed the beast's signature was gone, the MAKO rolled back to the camp and the Normandy landed to get everyone loaded on. Thankfully, everyone was safe but not everyone left the encounter unmarked.

* * *

Shepard sat in the med-bay with Dr. Chakwas tending to her, though there wasn't much she could do. Psychology was out of her expertise. After getting on the ship, Shepard had calmed, knowing she was safe and far from that… that monster here. Still, she couldn't stop the shakes, the headache… the ringing in her ears. Her scarring was tingling and itching something fierce despite the fact she was putting every effort into not focusing her thoughts on the feel of flesh burning… damn, there she goes.

"Shepard? How are you feeling?" Chakwas asked.

"You've asked me that ten times since I came in here. Fucking scar itches like hell and my head hurts… I… I can't stop thinking about it." Shepard replied wearily.

"Here, take these." Chakwas said, handing her a couple of pills and a glass of water.

Shepard grimaced when she saw the medication but did as she was told. As soon as she had swallowed the pills, she caught the flicker of something out of the corner of her eye. For a moment, she saw that same bloodied soldier but once she blinked, it was gone. It took a while for the medication to kick in but once it did, the shaking stop and the other symptoms started to calm, though there was still a throbbing at the base of her skull. Shepard felt bone tired and got up to headed back to her quarters to try and rest, ignoring grumbling of her stomach. She just wanted to… try and forget.

Unfortunately, her idea did not have the intended affect. As soon as Shepard stripped out of her armor, leaving it scattered across the floor, laid down and closed her eyes, the Thresher Maws were there. She woke up screaming, clutching the side of her face as if it were burning… it felt like it was burning. A fresh wave of tears poured from her eyes and Shepard started to sob.

It was at that moment that Liara came into the room and as soon as she heard the human crying, she hurried to her side with worry. However, Shepard shied away from her as soon as the asari drew close.

"Laura…"

"S-stay away from me! I… I shouldn't be here… I should have never been here." Shepard shouted, hand still pressed over the left side of her face.

"Laura, it's ok." Liara told her, keeping her distance so she wasn't upsetting Shepard further.

"No it's not! You… you could have died. Everyone could have died because I failed to act again! It would have been Akuze all over… watching everyone die. Watching… oh god, I'm gonna be sick!" Shepard started, practically diving off the bed.

Liara winced as she listened to Shepard wretch into the waste bin, going over to her and placing a gentle hand on her back. The woman flinched away from her touch, though she couldn't go far puking her guts out. Once her stomach calmed she shoved the bin into its normal place so the automated systems could empty it out. She sat on the floor for a moment, then just fell onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. Liara noted that Shepard's suit, the one she wore under her armor, was zipped all the way open. She tried not to stare but it was hard not to get distracted by the skin exposed to her.

"Ugh… forgot the medication makes me nauseated. The room's spinning a little." Shepard sighed, closing her eyes even though she shouldn't, knowing what was waiting for her in the darkness.

"Laura… no one faults you for what happened." Liara replied, sitting down on the corner of the bed.

"They should… I shouldn't even be here. I shouldn't be back in the army, commanding people. I'm going to get all of you killed."

"You've done well so far."

"Dumb luck." Shepard argued, opening her eyes and shuddering.

"I don't think so. We all trust you and we all look out for you and each other. I know what happened was… well, I think we are all pretty frightened."

"Wrex faced that thing without a second thought." Shepard lamented.

"He's a krogan… I don't think krogans are allowed to be afraid. Still… Laura, everyone's ok. Please, don't tear yourself up about this." Liara begged, leaning forward to look down at her.

Shepard opened her eyes and looked up at the asari, her heart fluttering at the sight of that innocent gaze being cast upon her. She didn't deserve it… that thought had been nagging her for days now. Liara deserved someone sane, stable… equally attractive at the least and yet the asari wanted her. She knew she was working herself up over nothing but… would this relationship really work?

"It took six months for me to not get sick from the smell of cooked meat and bear the touch of water. I… I still flinch whenever someone touches me and… god, animal sounds still set me off, especially if the creature looks anything like that… thing." Shepard sighed, running her fingers through her hair again.

"You've gotten better about the touching part with me." Liara said encouragingly, moving down to kneel next to the human.

"A little… still… I'm a danger to this mission. What if we find Saren and I… I…" Shepard choked on the words as she sat up, panic starting to take hold again.

Her hearts kipped a few beats when she felt the asari's lips press against her cheek, turning her head slightly to look at her as she pulled away. Liara gave her a wane smile, placing a hand gently on her shoulder and giving a light squeeze. Shepard smiled weakly in return and placed her hand over Liara's.

"I have to be in control if we're all going to make it through this." Shepard mumbled sadly.

"You don't have to do this alone. I'm here for you… we all are."

Shepard looked at Liara, her expression still pained but the way the asari was looking back at her… there was comfort in the love she saw reflected in her eyes. She still wasn't completely comfortable with how quickly they had grown intimate but it was nice. The world, for once, was starting to make a little bit of sense.


	12. The Coming Storm

_Virmire, oh Virmire... probably my most hated location in Mass Effect just cause of how tough it was... and keeping Wrex from dying. I still think the game needed an option to punch Ashley for shooting Wrex but oh well._

_Anyway, on to the story... I apologize if some of the scene jumps are a little jarring._

_EDIT 1: More tweaks._

* * *

"So what can I do for the esteemed members of the Council today?" Shepard drawled sarcastically as she stood in the CIC room before their holographic projections.

"Your sarcasm is dully noted and ignored, Shepard." Sparatus retorted sourly.

"Let's not get side tracked here. We may have a lead on Saren's location, Commander." Tevos interrupted before Shepard could open her mouth.

"Yes… an STG unit was sent to Virmire to investigate a possible base of operations for Saren. Recently, we received a distress call on a secure channel… however the message was mangled and no useful information could be gleaned from it." Council Valern continued.

"So… you want us to go in blind as bats and figure out if the STG team found anything?" Shepard concluded with a roll of her eyes.

"The team could have essential information on Saren, else they would not have attempted to contact us through the secure line." Valern argued.

"Alright, alright. I get it… but let's say Saren is there. He'll have defenses…. Along with a fuckton of geth." Shepard stated.

"A… fuckton?" Tevos asked quizzically.

"It's a human term for 'way more than we're equipped to handle.' I'll get my team ready but I'd like to put in on the record that I think this is an extremely risky endeavor."

"Your team was designed for stealth, Commander. This should be no problem." Sparatus remarked snidely.

"I take it you've never run a stealth ops in your life. I'm extremely cautious because we're going in without information. A lot of things can go wrong. I'll do what I can to locate the STG team and extract whatever intel they might have dug up… and extract the team if it's possible. No promises." Shepard replied, out-right ignoring the turian councilor.

"We look forward to your report." Tevos replied before the call was cut.

Shepard rolled her eyes again and sighed, leaving the CIC room and walking onto the bridge. Everyone was at their usual stations as she walked onto the platform to use the galaxy map. She pulled up Virmire… quite a distance from where they were currently stationed. It would take some time to reach it, plus they'd have to make at least two refueling stops.

"Joker, have the team assemble in the comm room for a debriefing in five." Shepard called, hailing Joker on the communication line.

"Aye Commander… though you couldn't walk the twenty feet or so to the cockpit to tell me that?" He jested.

"I'm feeling lazy. Let me know when we enter the Hoc system." She replied, rolling her eyes before turning on her heel and heading back to the comm room.

Within five minutes, the whole team assembled and Shepard relayed what little the Council had told her about the situation on Virmire. If Saren was indeed on the planet, they were going to have to be extremely cautious. Shiala and Benezia's warnings about Saren's flagship, Sovereign, bothered her a great deal. If the ship could brainwash people, then they'd all be at risk if the ship was anywhere nearby.

"So… this STG team might have intel or this might be a trap?" Garrus pressed.

"Councilor Valern seemed pretty confident it was the STG team that sent the message. The Alliance has similar back up lines for Infiltrators to use in case they are compromised. My big problem with this assignment is that we are going in completely blind… on Saren's home turf. We'll be at a severe disadvantage with very little escape options." She replied sourly.

"What is the plan then, Commander?" Kaiden asked.

"Luckily, the message did come with coordinates so we know where on Virmire the STG team is located. We don't know what kind of defense systems Saren has on his base so, we're assuming he can shoot the Normandy out of the sky. It'll be recon drop in the MAKO… and don't give me shit about my driving skills." Shepard replied, cutting any ideas of protest before anyone could say anything.

"Objectives?" Ashley piped up.

"Find the STG team and whatever intel they've gathered. If we can confirm Saren is on Virmire… we will attempt infiltration and disable his base of operations… and hopefully get Saren himself but if his ship is also there, apprehending Saren will be arbitrary." She replied, bringing up the information on the display.

After going over plans, she dismissed the team and went to her locker in the mess hall. Checked on her weaponry but it was all in good shape… she was just nervous. Shepard was used to doing stealth ops like these on her own or with, maybe, another person tagging along but not with a whole team. She was terrified that she'd have repeat of Akuze; a fear she had carried with her for years. She couldn't have what happened on Edolus happen again… but she had the sinking feeling it would.

Shepard needed to distract herself and went down to the cargo hold and spotted Wrex. He had an ancient set of armor sitting out, staring at it with, what she was assumed, was mild interest or contempt… it was difficult to tell what the krogan was thinking. He noticed Shepard coming out of the corner of his eye and turned to greet her in his usual manner.

"Shepard."

"Wrex. Got a minute to talk or you want some more alone time with your family heirloom?" She replied in jest.

"Ha. What do you want now, Shepard?" The krogan returned, giving her his full attention.

"I never asked… how'd you get those scars?" She asked, pointing at his face.

"Same way you did." He grinned.

"Huh?"

"When krogans come of age, we go through The Rite on Tuchunka, to prove that we are worthy of clan and blood. We are pitted against the world itself. I fought a Thresher Maw and killed it, but not before it took a few chunks out of my face." He said proudly.

"You… fought one on foot? Jesus fucking Christ Wrex. Your species is insane." Shepard replied in disbelief, unable to picture just how a single krogan took down such a monstrous, violent creature. Just thinking about it made her head hurt and sent a chill down her spine.

"I take it you asked me about these scars for a reason." Wrex cut in, getting right to the heart of the conversation.

"Ya… you faced that thing without a second thought and I just… froze. I did the same thing on Akuze and... fuck." She sighed.

Wrex studied the Commander for a moment. Humans were such odd creatures to him; soft, squishy but rather difficult to kill. This woman was a curiosity all her own and her interest in his people had made him think about his own stance on things… and what he would do in the future. She had seen this woman relentlessly pursue a mad-man in the pursuit of 'justice' and 'vengeance' but not like a varren hunts pyjaks. The Commander had a mind about her that made her a worthy foe, even if it had a few screws loose… but what soldier worth their salt didn't?

"Your reaction is natural, Shepard and doesn't make you a coward. You're still breathing… but you've changed since you started this hunt. You're not the same." He said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Not the same? I can't have changed that much." Shepard said a bit crossly.

"Until that asari got aboard, you were dangerous. Someone who had nothing to live for and nothing to lose. Now… you're even more dangerous because Liara's given you a reason to fight down to the last breath. Saren better watch out now that we've got his trail." Wrex told her, grinning.

"Thanks… I think. Have you thought about what you're going to do after this over, Wrex?" Shepard asked, deciding to take it as a compliment for now.

"Maybe hang around for a little longer… see what happens. Then, I'll probably go back to Tuchunka, maybe try to get the krogan back on track before we kill ourselves. You've given me a lot to think about."

Their conversation tapered off to talking a little more about Saren and the upcoming mission. She was glad to know that Wrex, along with the others, had her back even in times she loses control. Wrex told her a few more stories about his younger years to lighten the mood a bit. Eventually, Shepard found she needed to get herself something to eat.

"Shepard." Wrex said, stopping her mid-stride.

"Wrex?"

"You'll conquer it one day. Even a Thresher Maw dies. Maybe we should go hunting on Tuchunka after this Saren business is over." He said, flashing her a very sadistic looking grin… but then, all of his smiles seemed sadistic.

"Uh… I'll think about it Wrex." Shepard said, a bit unnerved by the idea of actually hunting a Thresher Maw.

* * *

"I think this is the last gate Commander. The STG team's signal is getting closer." Tali announced as they headed back down to the MAKO after lifting the gate barring their way.

The drop onto Virmire when fairly smooth, but their path through the winding beaches and rocks had been slowed by a series of gates guarded by the geth. Shepard was fairly certain this was a safety measure on Saren's part but it still slowed their progress, since these 'checkpoints' were heavily guarded.

"Alright. Once we find the source of the signal, we'll bring the Normandy in." Shepard announced as they all got into the MAKO.

The rest of the drive was uneventful, thankfully. Everyone was already feeling tired from fighting their way through and they had a long way to go. Much to everyone's surprise, a minor relief, they found the STG squad was alive and had a temporary base of operations set up. However, the salarians weren't all that impressed at seeing them, especially when the Normandy swooped in. Saren's defenses had detected the ship's arrival and now every AA gun Saren had was ready to blow it out of the sky so… now they were stranded.

"Are you all the Council sent?" Kirrahe, the commander of the unit, said in dismay.

"The Council sent us to investigate after we received your message." Shepard replied, a bit annoyed by his tone of voice.

"That is a redundant action. We needed reinforcements, a fleet… not another investigation team." He huffed, just as annoyed as she was.

They argued a bit but once Kirrahe realized that their message had been badly damaged, the misunderstanding was set aside and a plan of action was discussed. Kirrahe told Shepard that Saren was indeed set up on Virmire but he didn't have just an army of geth or that massive ship at his command. Saren was using the facility to breed his own army of krogan. Kirrahe suspected he must have found some way to cure or circumvent the genophage… which was a danger all of its own. Wrex seemed suddenly interested in the conversation until the salarian brought up plans to completely destroy the facility.

"No! There could be a cure for my people in there!" Wrex protested loudly, startling several of Kirrahe's men and some of the squad.

"Wrex… not now." Shepard said sternly, only to have the krogan ignore her and storm off.

Kirrahe finished up, discussing the bomb and the materials he would need. They were, literally, going to have to drop off a nuke in the center of Saren's base to destroy it… but first, they'd have to disable the AA guns so the Normandy could move the bomb. It would take time to build the device, so she had Kaiden and Tali help Kirrahe's men while she went to check on Wrex. Ashley pointed her in the direction of a nearby lake, where she could hear gunfire. Wrex was pissed.

"This isn't right Shepard. If Saren's found a cure, it can't be destroyed, it can save my people." Wrex growled, pausing after his last shot when he noticed the red-head approaching him.

"Saren's breeding slaves, not a way to save your people Wrex. Come on, even you have to see that." Shepard argued.

"The lines are getting blurred here, Shepard. I'm beginning to question whose side I should be on." He replied, gun still clutched in his hands.

"Saren is the enemy! He is not going to save your people, just make them as weapons… like the Council used your people for the Rachni Wars. Is that what you want, Wrex? Is all that crap about reclaiming what your people lost just a load of varren shit?!" She retorted, raising her voice a little to keep his attention.

Wrex roared and raised his gun, aiming the barrel right at Shepard but she made no move to defend herself. Ashley saw what was going on and was there, her pistol trained on the krogan. Wrex glanced at her and ground his teeth, turning his attention back on Shepard.

"Ashley, stand down." Shepard ordered fiercely.

"Sorry Commander, but no." Ashley replied, refusing to put her gun down.

"I said stand down!"

Ashley wrestled with obeying but finally, she lowered her gun and took a step back. Shepard let out a held breath and looked at Wrex again. If the krogan had really wanted to kill her, he would have already. She had spent enough time with him to know that. Wrex did not hesitate unless he was uncertain and right now… he was having a dilemma.

"Wrex… I know this is important to you but whatever Saren is doing… it's not the answer. You know I'm right." Shepard said calmly, simply keeping eye contact with Wrex.

"You are right Shepard… this isn't the answer." Wrex sighed, putting his gun away.

He approached her and held his hand out to her. She looked at it for a moment before grasping it firmly and she suddenly started to laugh. Mostly out of relief but it caught on and they both were laughing quite loudly. Ashley was the only one who had any context on the situation.

"Did those two just finally snap?" Kaidan asked, confused as he came up beside Ashley.

"Nah… they'll be fine. Was worried Wrex was going to shoot the Commander though but seems like they made up. Hopefully they don't kiss or they may have really lost their minds." Ashley replied with a sigh.

"And Liara might get jealous." Kaidan joked.

"I can hear you two!" Shepard called, looking over her shoulder at them.

With Wrex calmed down and the bomb still not ready, Shepard went to one of the tents to relax a bit. That had been stressful and she was still shaking a little. That close to death… and part of her had been hoping Wrex would have shot her right there. The realization that part of her was still there and as strong as it was… it was unsettling and frightening. She got a glance of herself in a reflective service and hadn't realized how haggard she looked. Her eyes were a little puffy and dark, wrinkles around the eyes… she looked awful.

"Laura! Are you ok?" Liara called, having heard about what happened and immediately went looking for the Commander.

"Ya, I'm fine. Just got into a bit of a tizzy with Wrex." She replied, standing up when the asari approached.

"A tizzy? Ashley said he aimed a gun at you!" She replied in disbelief.

"Liara, I'm fine. Wrex wasn't going to shoot me and we talked it out." Shepard said, cupping the asari's face between her hands when she was close.

"You were reckless." Liara sighed, giving her a cross look.

"I know… I'm sorry for worrying you Liara… but everything's fine now. Just waiting on the salarians to finish up so we can finally end this."

"Promise me you won't do anything else reckless." The asari said sternly, looking Laura straight in the eye.

"Liara… that's kinda part of my job but… before you get mad at me, I will do my best Liara. For you." She said, giving her a small but warm smile.

"For us." Liara corrected, gently pulling Shepard's hands down from her face and setting them on her waist.

She smiled and stepped forward so the two of them were close, her arms lazily crossed behind Liara's back and resting lightly on the asari's waistline. The new armor Liara had on was light and flexible, colored white with blue trim on it. Liara noticed the human's gaze and blushed.

"W-what? Did I put the armor on wrong again?"

"No… you look great in it. Though… I do prefer you in that lab coat." She said softly, her smile turning into a sly smirk.

She leaned in to kiss Liara but was stopped just short by the sound of someone clearing their throat quite loudly. Kirrahe was standing there, giving the pair an expressionless look, though mostly focused on the Commander.

"Damn cock block…" Shepard muttered under her breath.

"Pardon?" Liara asked, unfamiliar with the term

"Nevermind. What can I do for you Captain Kirrahe?" She asked, pulling away from Liara and putting on a more professional attitude.

"We're ready."


	13. The Missing Piece

_Virmire is, again, a straight forward mission, so the chapter really only focuses on the important moments about this half of the mission... but there's some fluff for you guys as a reward... sad fluff I've been trying to keep the chapters from being TOO depressing._

_Thanks for the continued views and hope you continue to enjoy the story as we come to the close of the ME arc before moving on to Redemption/ME2's arcs._

_EDIT 1: More tweaks. Very little is changed in this chapter. I did expand upon the end of the chapter a little._

* * *

"Last charge set!" Garrus called as he hurried away from the relay tower.

Once everyone was properly concealed under cover, Shepard punched in the command on her omni-tool and the charges went off, toppling the relay tower. The static over their communication line cleared up and Kirrahe immediately contacted them.

"Not sure what you did Commander but it seems to have slowed down the geth reinforcements. Thank you."

Shepard didn't respond, since they needed to maintain silence while they infiltrated Saren's base. She had brought Garrus and Tali along with her while leaving the rest of the team with Kirrahe as they assaulted the front of Saren's base… though the attack was merely a diversion for Shepard's team to slip in unnoticed. By the time they reached the base doors, they had also blown up the drone's fuel tanker to help lighten the pressure on Kirrahe's team. Liara was with them and that constantly ate at the back of Shepard's mind. She had made Wrex and Ashley promise they'd keep an eye on the asari… though she had protested not being on the infiltration team. Kaiden had been left with the Normandy to finish with the bomb.

When they reached the base, all the doors were sealed. Tali immediately went to the closets panel and started to hack it. She got through but she had a concern.

"Commander… I can trip the alarms and force the geth to Kirrahe's locations, which would leave the base relatively undefended but… doing so could put too much pressure on the assault team." Tali said worriedly.

"They've got enough going on. We can deal with whatever is inside." Shepard replied, patting Tali on the shoulder.

Seemingly relieved by the decision, Tali opened the door and they slipped inside. As expected, it was crawling with geth, krogan, and Husks. Saren also seemed to have researchers working with him, though most of them were non-combatants. With the alarm system disabled, making their way to the krogan breeding facility was relatively easy. However, the krogan breeding factory wasn't the worst part of Saren's base. Inside, they found the missing members of Kirrahe's squad… driven mad. Only one of them was sane enough to rely what had happened.

Saren was experimenting with the 'noise' his ship, Sovereign, seemed to emit. Benezia's warning seemed to have truth in it, that the ship drove people insane. She wondered if they were being exposed but she didn't hear anything unusual as they made their way to the top suites of the base. Shepard hoped Saren was not aware of their infiltration. She wanted to catch the bastard turian… well, the Council and Alliance wanted him captured alive. She was quite content with putting one between his eyes and feeding his corpse to varren. The higher up they went into the building, however, the more disheartened Shepard was getting, beginning to think Saren had escaped or was somewhere else entirely.

They burst into a small office with a row of desks and terminals. It appeared to be empty but the elevator on the other end was locked and Tali couldn't hack through it. They were stuck. There was a soft sound and everyone turned to face one of the desks. Shepard could make out a shape cowering underneath and stepped forward.

"Come out and we won't shoot." She called sternly.

"Ok ok! Don't shoot me!" A feminine voice rang out, the figure slowly standing.

It was an asari dressed in a lab coat. She identified herself as one of the few, non-combatant, scientists in the facility. She spilled everything without much prodding… everything about Saren's experimentations with indoctrination, about the breeding facility… everything the Council could ever want in terms of evidence and then some. She even opened the elevator to Saren's private labs.

"Thanks but… if I were you, I'd get off the planet. I'm going to blow it up in the next half hour." Shepard said, offering no help to her.

The asari swore and scurried off, talking about reaching the escape shuttles. They took the elevator to its destination, surprised to find Saren's labs were completely empty… but Saren wasn't here.

"Fuck. He's gone." She growled, holstering her weapon as she looked around.

"Hey Commander… you should come take a look at this." Garrus called from the far side of the lab.

She found Garrus on a lower level of the room but what he was looking at is what got her attention. Standing before them was a fully intact and active Prothean beacon, just like the one that had been on Eden Prime. It was the missing piece to the puzzle around the Conduit… Saren would no longer have the advantage.

"I'm going to interface with it… though I have no idea how I did it last time." Shepard said, slowly approaching the device, remembering how it happened on Eden Prime.

The 'interfacing' however, went exactly like it did on Eden Prime, though considerably less forceful. The field caught but didn't drag her towards it, simply held her in place as she felt the information being burned into her mind. The same vision… the same screams and pain but there was a clarity to it that had eluded her, the missing piece but she couldn't make sense of it. Once it stopped, Shepard could barely keep her balance, Garrus helping her steady herself by letting her lean on him for a moment.

"Did it work?" Tali asked, running scans on the beacon again.

"Ya… but we won't know what Saren got until I get back to Liara." She replied, wincing as she felt a powerful ache at the base of her skull, fighting to keep her concentration. "Let's get out of here and secure the location for the Normandy."

As they moved up to the main floor again, all three of the noticed that there was an active VI interface on the platform. Shepard didn't recall seeing it before but if it was active, maybe they could figure out where Saren was or needed to go. Cautiously, she approached the holographic interface and brushed a gloved hand against what looked like a input panel but it suddenly vanished and all the lights and equipment in the room flickered for a brief moment.

_You are not Saren._

The voice was deep, metallic and seemed to come from both around them and in their heads. Shepard didn't see anyone in the room and assumed maybe it was an intercom of some kind and Saren was just messing with them.

"You're not going to escape this time Saren." She called out in challenge.

_Rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh… you touch my mind and fumble in the darkness, incapable of understanding._

"I… don't think this is a VI, Commander." Tali said, voice sounding in disbelief and awe.

"No shit, eh?" Shepard commented in reply. "Who are you?"

_There is a realm of existence so far beyond your own you cannot even imagine it. I am beyond your comprehension. I am Sovereign._

The red VI interface flickered back on but it was completely different. Shepard immediately recognized the shape as that of the ship she saw on Eden Prime… but the more she stared at it, the more she realized it wasn't really a ship. It was metal but had such an organic shape… not even the Geth ships looked remotely close to this.

"Sovereign isn't some ship Saren found… it's a Reaper!" Shepard exclaimed as she tried to wrap her head around the conclusion.

_Reaper? A label created by the Protheans to give voice to their destruction. In the end, what they chose to call us is irrelevant. We simply... are._

"There's no way you could know about the Protheans. No ship or whatever you are could survive for fifty thousand years." Tali protested, her and Garrus having trouble understanding what was going on before them.

The conversation continued and proved to be quite enlightening. The Reapers brought about a cycle of absolute destruction every fifty thousand years… and they were next. Whatever their purpose, Sovereign saw no need in telling them, only that it was beyond their 'limited' understanding. Whatever this thing was, Shepard was certain now that Saren did not have control of Sovereign but Sovereign had control of Saren. They went back and forth until the conversation was, abruptly, ended. The building gave a massive shake that threw them all off balance.

"The fuck was that?!" Shepard demanded out loud as she got back up on her feet.

"Commander?!" Joker called over the communicator.

"What's going on Joker?"

"You better get out of there. That ship just made a turn that would sheer a cruiser in half… and it's headed straight for your location. You must have pissed it off." He relayed to her.

"Understood. Let's move!" Shepard ordered.

They high-tailed it out of there, picking up their route to get to the drop point. They cut through the krogan labs and had to fight tooth and nail to get through all of the defenses, now on high alert to their presence. However, they cleared the area and she radioed in the Normandy, the ship arriving just a few minutes later. Kaiden and some of the Normandy crew came down, carrying the bomb.

"How are we looking, Alenko?" Shepard asked, saluting him in response to his salute.

"Bomb's ready to go. I just need to arm it."

"Good. Then…" Shepard started to respond but was interrupted by Ashley on the comm link.

"Commander! We're pinned down and won't make it to the rendezvous point! We need assistance or we're not going to make it!"

"Go. I'll finish up here and get to the rendezvous point." Alenko said, seeing the panic on Laura's face.

"Thanks." She muttered quietly to him before calling for Garrus and Tali to follow her.

They ran for the AA gun tower where Kirrahe and the team were pinned down for the geth. If they could flank them, then they'd have a chance. However, their progress was stopped mid-way when Kaiden called in… and then Ashley.

"Commander! Geth reinforcements are at the bomb site!"

"Commander, we're getting hammered here. We can't last much longer!"

"Fuck… Ashley, hold…" Shepard started to respond but suddenly, all the alarms on the base went off. Tali checked her omni-tool and gave Shepard a worried look; the bomb had been armed.

"Kaiden! The fuck are you doing?"

"Gotta get this bomb off at all costs, Commander. You can't save us both but… I can hold the geth off long enough to make sure the device isn't disarmed. Get Ashley and the rest of the team off Virmire!" Kaiden said, voice nearly drowned out by the gunfire coming across both feeds.

"Bullshit! We can hold out long enough for you to get Kaiden's stupid ass and come around to grab us!" Ashley snapped back over the comm.

"Shut it Ashley! We all know who Laura is going to choose… and besides, it'll be just me. The rest of the men here were killed in the initial assault. I can hold out long enough on my own." Kaiden said replied, shouting over Ashley's protest.

Shepard grimaced and felt her throat lock up, that tight feeling grasping at her heart and gut. Her initial decision to go to the AA tower to help Ashley was, really, to save Liara. However, now she realized how horrible of a commander she had been. Now… she had to choose who was going to live or die but Kaiden had been right… her decision was already set, but not for just Liara but because of Wrex and Ashley and all of Kirrahe's remaining team.

"Ashley… hunker down and keep yourselves alive, I'm on my way. Normandy, rendezvous at these coordinates as soon as I give you the all clear."

"Aye Commander." Joker chimed in sullenly as the situation dropped on them like a hammer.

"Alenko… I'm so sorry." She choked over the comm link.

"It's alright Commander. It was an honor serving with you and the team." Kaiden replied before his line went dead.

Shepard gritted her teeth, fighting back the urge to scream and curse and cry in fury, frustration, and sorrow. They had a job to do and if they didn't move, Kaiden's sacrifice would be for nothing. Unfortunately… that was not going to happen as Saren was lying in wait for them. The first biotic blast sent Shepard flying into a container, giving her head a firm knock as Garrus and Tali managed to dive for cover to avoid the rouge turian's onslaught as he swooped in on some kind of hovering platform.

"Shepard! Fighting is pointless!" He called.

Recovering a little, she managed to drag herself behind the container to keep out of sight, though she could feel blood trickling down the back of her neck and making her hair stick to her scalp. She tried to slow her breathing but her chest was aching, making her take shallow breaths.

"It's over Saren! You're not going to find the Conduit and I'm going to stop you and Sovereign right here right now!" She shouted back at him.

"Don't you understand?! I am trying to SAVE the galaxy. The Reapers are coming… no one can stop that. If we make ourselves useful, submit to them, they will spare us!"

"Spare us?! I'd rather die fighting than become a slave!" She shouted back at him, poking her head out from cover, only to duck back to avoid taking a bullet in the face.

They shouted back and forth at each other, but it was mostly for Shepard's benefit as she waited for Garrus to get into position. Once the turian called in he had a shot, she dove out from behind her cover and took a shot at him, hitting the platform he was on. Saren hissed and started to laugh but the Garrus's shot broke his kinetic barrier and sliced through one of the tubes sticking out of his neck. He howled in a mixture of surprise, anger, and what appeared to be pain.

"You will die here Shepard!" Saren screamed.

The fight that erupted was intense but with his barriers down, Saren was completely exposed. As Garrus and Tali kept him pinned under fire, Shepard tried to move to a better position, ears still ringing from the blow to her head. However, Saren called in geth reinforcements to provide cover, forcing them to divide their attention from the turian. A Destroyer flushed her out of cover before she managed to destroy it, leaving her completely exposed to Saren. The biotic pull sent her skidding across the water, weapon wrenched out of her grasp. Saren looked over her before bending and picking her up, carrying her over the edge of the platform to dangle her over it.

"I will save this galaxy!" Saren growled, holding her by the throat with one arm.

"S-Sovereign's already got you… Saren… he'll make you like the Husks." She snapped back, legs kicking helplessly.

"As long as I am useful, Sovereign will spare me and I will spread my message to the Council. Those that don't surrender will perish… starting with you!"

One of the gas tanks suddenly exploded, distracting Saren and loosening his grip. Shepard yelled as she swung, feeling herself falling, fist hitting Saren square in the side of the head and sending the turian reeling back. Her feet hit the edge of the platform before slipping off the slick surface. She barely caught herself on the edge, scrambling for a firmer grip. With the alarms getting louder, Saren simply ran for it, escaping as Shepard struggled to pull herself back up.

"Little help here!" She shouted, feeling herself slipping further and further.

Luckily, Garrus and Tali were there seconds later and hauled her back up… but there was no time to catch their breaths or figure out where Saren ran off to; they had to get to Ashley's team and get off Virmire. They ran and fought their way through the disorganized forces, making it to the AA gun. The geth weren't expecting a flank and were crushed within a few minutes, forcing the rest to run off in retreat. Once the area was secured, Shepard called in the Normandy to pick them up. Once everyone was aboard, she sprinted to the cockpit, chancing a glance on the countdown to detonation.

"Joker! Do we…"

"Sorry Commander but…" Joker replied to her incomplete question, already piloting the Normandy away from the planet's surface.

All Shepard could do was helplessly watch the window as Virmire receded. She visibly flinched when she saw the flash of the explosion of the bomb, destroying Saren's base of operations but… securing Kaiden's ill fate. Everyone was in a solemn mood when she walked out onto the bridge. She looked each person in the face in turn but couldn't find anything to say… simply heading to the com room to give her report. Saren had vanished without a trace but the Council wanted them to return to the Citadel. As far as they were concerned, it was a job well done.

* * *

Liara was sitting in her room, everyone kind of retreated into their own worlds right now as the whole Normandy crew processed Kaiden's humble sacrifice. She found it hard to concentrate on her work… they knew Saren was headed to the lost Prothean colony on Illos but… the Council wanted them to return to the Citadel. However, she couldn't help but think about how Shepard was coping with this. She knew the human's reaction to severe stress was extreme and the worry kept gnawing at her until she finally got up and got out of the med-bay to check on her.

Much to the asari's surprise, the Commander was sitting in the mess hall, alone, still dressed in her full armor. There was a cup in front of her of which she, assumed from the black liquid, was coffee. She seemed to be out of it but as soon as Liara was near the table, Shepard lifted her head. Her eyes were red and a little puffy, like she had been crying earlier. The sight broke her heart and Liara immediately moved around the table and put her arms around her.

"I'm so sorry Laura." She whispered, hugging the human with her face buried against her neck.

Shepard didn't reply at first, just gently pried Liara's arms from around her and stood up. At first, Liara was confused by the behavior but when the woman squeezed her hand and gave a gentle pull, she followed the human to her quarters. For a while, Shepard was silent… just standing there, holding her hands with her thumbs brushing over her knuckles.

"Laura…"

"Kaiden was right. Even if he hadn't said anything I would have come to save you." Shepard sighed loudly, wincing as moving made the cut on her head hurt.

Shepard was feeling pretty banged up and sore from the mission but physical pain didn't compare to her emotions right now. She couldn't bear to look up at Liara, thinking that she would find her repulsive for such a thought.

"If he hadn't… volunteered… I think I'd have left him there anyway. I… it just… when both he and Ashley called during that moment. The choice was immediate. I'd have ripped through the geth bare handed to get to you." She continued, daring to lift her head and look Liara in the eye.

There was no judgment in those crystal blues that stared back at her… only sadness and warmth in a strange mixture. Liara squeezed her hands and gave her a small but encouraging smile.

"You did what you could Commander… and I think Kaiden was right but not because I wanted to be saved, not that I didn't, it's just… Ashley and Wrex and all of Kirrahe's men owe you their lives. If you had gone back for Kaiden, we'd have been there with the bomb."

"I know I just…." Shepard choked, tears coming back to her eyes.

"Felt like you could have done more? Laura… you did all you could and no one blames you. And… you shouldn't blame yourself."

She let go and cupped the Commander's cheek with one hand, leaning in and giving her a gentle kiss on the lips. The corners of the red-head's lips twitched up for a moment and she immediately wiped away the unshed tears.

"I know… but being in a position of command means you're held accountable… even when a situation gets out of control. The one in command is always responsible." She said with a heavy sigh.

"Yes but this was not your fault… Akuze was not your fault." Liara whispered, pulling herself closer.

They held each other for a while, listening to each other breathe. Liara drank in the human's scent… heavy with sweat, dust, synthetic material and the hint of blood and smoke. The smell of a warrior, of combat; something Liara never noticed since Shepard tended to shower right after a mission. She pulled away after a few minutes.

"I should go. You must be tired." Liara said softly.

However, Shepard refused to let go of the asari, tightening her arms around her and pushing Liara back up against her body. Liara felt her cheeks getting heated and she fumbled with her words for a moment, trying to figure out what was going on with Shepard. She flinched a little when she felt the human's breath against her ear.

"Stay with me… please." Shepard pleaded.

Liara felt the words falter in her throat as she looked into those clouded green eyes, full of grief and agony. All she could do was nod her head in reply to the request though she wasn't sure what Shepard wanted her to do. The human let go of her hands and mumbled something about needing to get out of her suit, but Liara noticed she seemed to be having trouble lifting her right arm above her shoulder.

"Here, let me help." Liara offered, placing her hands on the chestplate.

It was warm, covered in flecks of blood, dirty and scratches. She could see where bullets had bounced off or hit it straight on… some of them in areas that would have been fatal. Liara thought a silent prayer to Athame that Shepard came back relatively unwounded. She found the latches under Shepard's arms and heard the distinct 'hiss' of the air pressure releasing and the plate coming loose. It was much heavier than she had anticipated but Shepard helped, pulling it up over her head and tossing it casually aside.

"Should you really be doing that to your armor?" Liara asked worried as she watched Shepard get the arm pieces off.

"I've had much worse thrown at it." The human replied, moving to sit down on the edge of the bed to get the greaves and boots off."

Shepard seemed smaller without the armor on, even though it was supposedly 'light' armor and Liara had to admit it was smaller than what Ashley wore in the field. Still… it hid how lithe Shepard was really well. The asari watched with intense interest as the human unzipped the suit, exposing her scarred skin underneath. She noted that the red-head was wearing a sports bra, meant to keep her breasts held in place in a relatively comfortable manner. Shepard noticed her stare and blushed.

"Don't drool on yourself there, Dr. T'Soni." She teased with a nervous laugh, standing up… which didn't really help the situation.

From what little she could see, Shepad had good muscles tone but what kept drawing her attention where the branches of the scarring. She knew it had damaged a sizable portion of the human's left side but… for some reason, she wanted to see it.

"S-sorry, I just… I want to see the scar." Liara blurted out.

"This ugly thing?"

"I know, it's a foolish request. I'm just… Laura, what are you doing?" Liara started to stammer, stopping when she noticed what Shepard was doing.

She stared, a bit slack-jawed, as the human pulled the suit off her shoulders and slipped her arms out of the sleeves. Shepard had never done this before… well, outside of medical evaluations. She wasn't even sure WHY she decided to do it. Liara was probably going to be repulsed by it, so might as well get it out of the way now rather than… well, if things ever got past kissing with them. Shepard shivered a little, swearing she could just feel the weight of Liara's gaze as she stared at the pale white skin that marked her for years. There were places were the scar tissue had built up and others where it was stretched thin over implants. Liara noticed all the surgery markings mixed in with the primary scarring on her arm.

"What are those?" She asked, gesturing towards them.

"These? I couldn't use my arm at first… the acid ate through a lot of the nerves and connective tissue. They had to regrow a bunch of it and what they couldn't produce in a lab, I had to get implants. Probably would have been better just to cut the damn thing off." She said, flexing her arm.

"Goodness… you are amazingly resilient Shepard."

"I got lucky… I think. Who knows how or why I survived that. By all rights, I shouldn't have… ugh, I know I shouldn't say that. If I had died…"

"Then we would have never met." Liara finished for her, finally tearing her eyes away from staring at the Commander's scarring.

Shepard started to pull her suit back on and Liara and part of the asari wanted to stop her. Her cheeks started to turn dark and she bit her lower lip again. Shepard noticed and stopped, one arm through the sleeves. A suddenly smirked, a pink color coming to her cheeks and ears.

"Do you… not want me to pull my suit back on, Liara?"

"What?! Oh, I wasn't staring at your body… I mean your scar… Goddess, I wasn't staring! Oh I'm just making this worse." Liara stammered in embarrassment, earning a laugh from the human.

"Then I'll just take the whole thing off. I'm pretty tired anyway." Shepard said with a sly smile.

Liara could only stare as she watched the woman sit down and pull her legs out of the suit, revealing the last bits of skin and scars and leaving the Commander in her bra and briefs, both colored Alliance regulation navy blue. Shepard chuckled nervously as she saw Liara's expression, scooting back on the bed.

"Are you going to be ok Liara?"

"I… um… it's just… um… you're… you're beautiful." Liara blurted out, her face completely dark.

"Ha… nothing compared to you though. C'mere." Shepard replied shyly, patting the bed next to her.

"Is this… um…"

"Huh, oh no. I promise I'll keep my hands to myself. I just… want you close to me right now." Shepard replied sheepishly.

Liara bit her lip again, but joined Shepard on her bed, sliding up to the human as she put an arm around her shoulder and leaned into the asari, head resting on her shoulder. They sat like that for a long time, Liara sitting stiffly as she struggled to figure out what she should do. After a few minutes, she noticed Shepard's weight suddenly shifted against her and she looked down to find the human had fallen asleep. A smile touched her lips as she thought of how exhausted the woman must be… she felt tired herself. Carefully, Liara shifted herself and Shepard so that they both were lying down.

"I love you Laura."


	14. Grounded

_Ya, so... just about 95% of this chapter never happened in the game. Enjoy :)_

_EDIT 1: Changed this entire chapter from happening in Tevara's house to the Normandy for… reasons. Just felt better if the exchanged happened in a more familiar place._

When they arrived on the Citadel, Shepard and her team were immediately called to the Council chamber. Laura assumed that they wanted to congratulate them and discuss plans for finally nabbing Saren. However… quite the opposite changed. Instead, the Council and Udina were convinced Saren was no longer a threat and that, as long as he stayed out of the Traverse, they weren't in any danger.

"You're just going to sweep this under the rug?! Saren has an army of geth large enough to attack the Citadel! He tortured people, bred krogan and you're just going to sit here and let him start all over again?!" Shepard demanded

"Without his base, Saren is on the run and little danger to us." The turian councilor retorted.

"Idiots! You're all idiots! He'll find the Conduit, he'll bring back the Reapers and he'll come STRAIGHT for the Citadel!"

"These so called 'Reapers'… you have no evidence of their existence. They are a myth Saren fabricated and has, apparently, got you to believe, Commander." The salarian responded.

"Our decision is final Commander. The Normandy will be grounded pending a thorough investigation."

"You're dismissed Commander. The Council and I have matters under control." Udina said with a note of finality, simply shrugging her off.

She turned a little and saw the eyes of her crew on her, all in various states of disbelief and anger. Her jaw tightened and she turned back to them, puffing up her chest. The asari councilor noticed her still there, brow arching quizzically as she ignored what was going on for the moment.

"Fine… I shouldn't have expected anything more from the Council. I believed that, somehow, the asari, turians, and salarians were better than humanity but really… we're all exactly alike. Saren will come… him and that damn ship of his. Even if you don't believe the Reapers, you're willfully ignoring a threat. He'll burn the Citadel into ash to get what he wants. Our worlds are going to burn when the Reapers come and everyone's going to wonder why the Council sat on its hands and did nothing." Shepard spat before turning her back on them and storming out, her crew following behind her.

Liara hadn't seen Shepard since the Council meeting, so she was surprised that she found the woman on the Normandy when she came back. The human was sitting with her back against her locker, an open bottle of wine next to her foot and a glass. She didn't appear drunk but there was a sullen air about her and she had a scowl on her face.

"Laura? Are you… alright?" She asked.

"Not really… pissed as fuck right now. We should be chasing Saren down, not sitting here with leashes around our necks. Fucking politicians…" Shepard growled, draining her glass with one gulp before refilling it.

"Wine?"

"Shitty wine. I just… I don't know, this is just fucking depressing. All that work… Kaiden's sacrifice and for what? Told to sit on our fucking hands while Saren finds what he's looking for." Shepard snarled, draining her glass again.

"I'm sorry Shepard. I think we're all confused and angry but… should you really be sitting here drinking?" Liara questioned.

"Probably not but I'm part Irish, we only get drunk on good whiskey and dark beers. I want to punch Udina in his shit-spewing mouth. Fucking asshole." Shepard growled, staring into her glass.

"Perhaps we should go somewhere else. I believe you owe me a… date, you called it?" Liara suggested to her, holding her hand out to help her up.

Shepard looked at her, regarding the asari for a moment before clasping her hand and hauling herself up. Liara lost her balance a little, falling into Shepard and, inadvertently, pushing her into her locker. She mumbled an apology but the words drifted off as she looked up to meet Shepard's gaze. She gasped when she felt the human wrap her arm around her and pulled her close.

"That… actually sounds like a good idea. What did you want to do?"

The walk around the park had been rather unexpected but not unwelcome for Shepard. They stopped by a small food stall to pick up treats but the time they spent together was in relative quiet. Liara had taken Shepard to one of the arms, a location she hadn't visited since childhood but it held fond memories for her… memories of a time that she hadn't realized she missed so much until now.

"My mother used to take me here during her trips to the Citadel. I liked watching the shuttles go by… and digging in the dirt, pretending to look for old artifacts. She didn't approve of me getting dirty but… I knew its what I wanted to do." Liara told her, smiling fondly at the thought.

"Cute… little Liara with mud on her nose and grass stains on her knees. I bet that was something." Shepard chuckled.

"What about you Shepard? Did you always know you'd serve the Alliance?" the asari asked her, turning the conversation on the human.

"Maybe. My family's served the Alliance for generations, well before it was even the Alliance someone in the family tree somewhere had a military record. I was always trouble… getting the crap beat out of me, sticking up for the little guys… that kind of nonsense. I guess I got tired of losing fights." Shepard shrugged, looking up at the sky… or in this case, another arm of the Citadel.

Despite how… unnatural this place was, there was a calming air about it. The walk was a good idea. They just talked and enjoyed each other's company. Shepard watched Liara as the asari knelt before a stand of flowers, thinking on 'them'. Their relationship had developed so fast and practically out of nowhere but… it was a good thing. Shepard hadn't felt this 'good' in a long time and she was aware that her time with Liara was because of that. Of all the relationships she had, she had never thought she'd be hooking up with an asari… though she had quite a few close calls before. Still, this wasn't about what Liara was, it was how grounded she made Shepard feel. Love was such a weird thing.

"Why don't we head back to the ship? I have something for you." Shepard said out of the blue.

Liara, at first, was confused but followed along with it. This was the first time in a long time anyone had gotten her a gift and she was quite intrigued by what Shepard might have gotten her. They returned to the Normandy and Shepard led the asari to her personal quarters. The ship was empty, aside from Joker and a couple of crew members hanging around. She went to her desk and pulled out a small item. It was something she had grabbed in Saren's research lab on Virmire. Shepard wasn't sure why she had grabbed it at first but it looked rather Prothean. She figured Liara would enjoy it.

"I found this in Saren's base… though I have no idea what it is. I thought you might like it." Shepard told her, placing it in her hand.

"Wow… its beautiful Laura." Liara breathed, holding it up to study it.

Shepard chuckled as she watched how the asari's eyes lit up, scrutinizing the artifact. She could swear she could see the cogs and wheels spinning in Liara's head and couldn't help but start laughing. Liara blushed at the sound and put her hands down, the object still clutched in her hand. Shepard smiled and moved closer to her, brushing the back of her knuckles against the asari's cheekbone. The action surprised her… since Shepard rarely took the initiative in this regard. The human's progress had been quite astounding to Liara.

"Do you like it?" Shepard asked, though she already knew the answer.

"Yes! I mean… yes, I really do Shepard. Thank you." She replied, giving Shepard a warm smile.

"Good. I like seeing you smile."

She moved away and sat down in one of the chairs, looking a bit pensive all of a sudden. What happened with the Council still bothered her. If she could, she would have taken the Normandy and given chase. She hated letting a mark get away and Saren had turned this into a personal vendetta. Liara noticed Shepard scowling again.

"You really want to go after Saren, don't you?" She asked.

"I hate it when a mark gets away. It's a hunter's pride thing… plus, he's getting what he wants. Whatever the Conduit is… Saren's going to get it and shove it up all our asses." Shepard growled.

"Human… analogies are quite weird." Liara commented.

"We're weird in general… but then everything's weird. I liked things better when I was just told to just shoot someone. At least there's little chance of fucking that up… usually." Shepard chuckled.

"Your marksmanship is remarkable. Garrus often praises you when we are practicing. He admires you… the whole crew does." The asari told her with a gentle smile.

"Well, I know I have your admiration Liara. I have to thank you… I don't think I'd be here if you weren't here to keep me grounded."

"You give me far too much credit, Laura." Liara replied shyly, unable to look up at her.

"Don't sell yourself short. You're my ace in the hole… the calm in the storm that's been my life. If I hadn't decided to do something crazy like fall in love with you… well, who knows if I'd have lasted this long." Shepard told her, her voice oddly soft and low.

"Laura, I…" Liara started to say but she just couldn't find the words.

The way the red-head was looking at her, adoration in her eyes where sorrow and anger usually lingered, the small up-turn of the corners of her mouth… Goddess, what she was saying was making her knees weak. All she could muster was a nervous laugh and smile as the human stood up and approached her.

"I… honestly don't know how to respond." She muttered.

"I could think of a thing or two…" Shepard said with a hint of a laugh in her voice, pulling the asari to her.

Shepard spun them around once, arm around the asari's waste. Despite the stress and ominous air of what happened earlier, she felt… happy. This is what happiness felt like, right? The smile on Liara's face, having the asari with her in general, regardless if it was here or out in the field… this just felt right. Shepard couldn't remember the last time she experienced this feeling. Liara herself felt giddy and breathless, arms loosely draped over Shepard's shoulders. Her eyes darted to the human's pink lips for a moment, remembering how they felt and she blushed. She felt herself leaning in towards Shepard… or was the human leaning towards her?

"Uh, sorry to interrupt Commander but Captain Anderson is rather insistent on talking to you." Joker's voice called over the intercom, breaking the tense silence.

"Ugh… cock-block." Shepard growled, resting her forehead against Liara's shoulder.

"You've said that quite a few times now. What does that… mean?" The asari asked her as they parted.

"It's… well, basically what I'm saying is that I'm quite frustrated people keep happening to interrupt us during our little 'moments'. Think I'll shoot the next person who does." Shepard replied, brow furrowed.

"Perhaps you should go see Captain Anderson. There will be time for us… soon." Liara said, blushing once more at the suggestion.

"If I must… I'll be back soon. Whatever Anderson wants better be fucking important."


	15. Heart of Their Union

_Had a bit of a hiatus due to school, work, and some mild writer's block. I apologize for the long wait between updates and hope you enjoy the chapter._

_Thanks for the continued views and favs :)_

_EDIT 1: Elaboration on the whole romance scene here so… enjoy. Mostly filled with awkward silliness, fears, and lots of love. If you don't like smut… then skip to the next chapter._

* * *

Shepard sat at her desk, terminal open and several data pads in front of her. Hours ago, she had a final debrief with the team about Illos… and what to expect. She had already gotten Joker to take the Normandy off the grid but it seemed neither the Council nor the Alliance were interested in apprehending them. She hoped that Anderson would be ok… though she wished she had been there to see Udina get punched out. There wasn't time to dwell on it though, not with the fate of the galaxy weighing on her.

She was staring at the information on Illos and the geth Liara and Tali had compiled together for her, along with all the information she had gotten from the Council on Saren months ago. However, the turian wasn't behaving like himself… Shepard was certain he had was already being manipulated by Sovereign. Hell, this whole mission was topsy-turvy and hardly anything made sense. Part of her wanted to follow the Council's line of thinking; that this was just a geth invasion and Saren had lost his mind but so many little details didn't add up and too many other things made sense for her to simply dismiss it. What she had witnessed since this mission began was beyond comprehension and yet… here they were.

She barely noticed the sound of her door opening and sighed, assuming it was someone running her more information but when she turned in her chair, she was surprised to see Liara step into the room, door sliding shut behind her.

"I hope I'm not interrupting, Laura. I… wanted a moment to speak with you." Liara greeted meekly, though her gaze was more serious.

"Tch, I'm not getting anywhere staring at this stuff aside from a headache. What did you want to talk about?" Shepard replied, getting up and stretching.

The asari winced slightly as she heard several pops come from the human's body but she was here. The human looked so tired, eyes dull and a slump to her usually proud stance. This was it… the climax of their fight against Saren and Sovereign. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment when the Commander drew closer to her, placing a gentle hand on her arm.

"What did you want to talk about?" Shepard asked.

"Us, really. I've been giving it a lot of thought and with everything coming to a head… these could possibly be our last few hours together." Liara replied, her voice solemn and full of fear.

"Oh… well, can't say that hasn't been on my mind for the past few hours. Who knows what could happen when we reach Illos. Hopefully… not the worst shit I can think of right now." Shepard sighed in weariness.

"Yes... I thought perhaps we could take this as a sign that we should be honest with each other… truly honest, in body and mind."

"Huh? You kinda lost me there, Liara." Shepard replied, her expression confused.

"I am… not sure how to word this so it's not so… twardy but I… I wish to join with you, Laura. I want to…" Liara started but the words stuck in her throat and she felt her face burning with embarrassment.

"You want to… oh… OH! Jesus, I'm dense as fuck. Are… are you sure, Liara? I mean… it's not like I don't want to or anything but this is a big deal and I… uh…" Shepard stammered, her brain suddenly grinding to a halt.

"I haven't been more certain of anything. I want this… I want you, Laura." Liara blushed.

The tension in the air was thick but in a good way… though Shepard was not prepared for Liara to take the lead as the asari wrapped both her arms around her neck and pulled her down for a fierce kiss. More than eager to return her affections, Shepard wrapped her arms around the asari in return, pulling her flush against her body. The asari gasped as she felt the Commander's hand slide up her back, skin tingling at the thought of what it would feel like without their clothes in the way. With lungs aching for air, they parted for a moment to catch their breaths, Liara using the opportunity to start pushing up the hem of the human's shirt shirt, only to be stopped. Confused, she looked up and was met with a confused and embarrassed look.

"It's… been some time since I've ever been intimate with anyone and I… well… my experience lies with the males of my species so…" Shepard laughed nervously.

"Would it help to say that I know nothing at all about this? I… did a little research but it was quite…" Liara started to reply, her face turning a darker shade.

"Research, eh? Please don't tell me you asked Dr. Chakwas… or god forbid, Joker." Shepard sighed.

"NO! Goddess, why would I do that? I'm quite capable of doing my own research." Liara protested.

"It'll be our little secret. I'm curious as to what kind of research you might have done, Liara. You don't seem like someone who'd just look at twardy smut." The human jested, a smug grin on her face.

"That… that wouldn't have been helpful. I found… educational material that was able to answer many of my… questions." The asari replied shyly, her blush getting worse.

"Oh? There's actually an instruction guide on relations between asari and humans? Maybe I should take a look at it. I kinda figured I'd just wing it." Shepard laughed nervously.

"Wing it? Well… you'd have more experience than me…"

"Like I said, I've only really done it with guys. I… had one stint with a girl back when I was a greenie but that was, uh, just for curiosities sake." Shepard commented quietly.

"You… experimented?" Liara asked, brows raising in surprise

"What? You've never thought 'hey, I wonder what it's like to screw a turian?'" Shepard asked, trying not to laugh despite her embarrassment.

"Goddess no! Sex never really crossed my mind until you. Wait… have YOU ever wondered what it's like to… with turians?" Liara asked, the thought mildly horrifying.

"Once… then I saw a turian out of his armor. Seem too… sharp. I don't mind it rough but I'd rather keep most of my blood in me."

"What about krogans?" Liara laughed.

"Oh fuck no! I heard krogan have TWO of everything. I'd rather not be, literally, fucked to death." Shepard replied in horror, only making Liara laugh harder.

It took a few minutes for Liara to compose herself, wiping a few tears from her eyes as Shepard scowled at her in embarrassment. The mood felt lighter but the tension wasn't completely gone. Both of them were still quite unsure and nervous about what was to happen between them. Shepard wasn't confident she'd do anything right and Liara wasn't sure where to start.

"So… how should we… do this?" Liara asked, nerves coming back to the forefront.

"Well… why don't we stick with something familiar? Ease into it?" Shepard replied, her voice oddly low as she approached Liara, corner of her lip quirked in a smirk.

Liara let the human pull her close, one arm circling around her back and pressing a palm between her shoulder blades. She wrapped her arms around Shepard's neck and drew the woman's lips to her own, the kiss gentle and probing. The flames of their desires were easily kindled, the kiss deepening and pressing their bodies close. They couldn't stand still, moving as if performing an awkward waltz, Shepard backing up into her desk and nearly knocking her desk chair over. Liara mumbled an apology against the human's lips but Shepard just laughed as she moved over a step and leaned back enough to sit on the edge. She traced her finger along the furrows on the back of Liara's crest, the asari's eyes fluttering closed and a pleased sigh escaping her for a moment before she looked squarely into those hallowed emerald pools before her.

"Shepard… I have to admit, I am… nervous about the… meld." She muttered, turning her eyes away for a moment.

"Would it help if I said I was too?" Shepard offered with a lopsided smile, cupping Liara's cheek and encouraging the asari to look back at her.

"It will be… different from the others. I have never opened myself up to anyone like this and I don't know what will happen. It… scares me." Liara admitted.

"I'd be surprised if you weren't scared, Liara. This is a big deal… for both of us. I… don't know much about this honestly and I'm worried… worried that this could hurt you. You've gotten tastes of the dark parts of me but to get the whole thing? What if it makes you hate me?" Shepard lamented, looking down at the ground all of a sudden.

"Oh Laura, nothing could make me hate you." Liara told her, pressing herself up against the human.

For a moment, Shepard tensed against the contact and silently cursed herself for doing so. She gave Liara a nervous smile but she was scared. She had done her own research, mostly because she had questions about how this type of meld would be different from the others. The physical stuff she was pretty sure she could figure out as it went but this… this was something well beyond her realm of understanding. They'd both be vulnerable to each other, raw memories and thoughts shared and felt as their minds intertwined. Humans, technically, weren't built for this kind of mental strain and there'd be side-effects and risks on both ends. She placed her hands on Liara's arms and gently pushed the asari back so she could look her in the face.

"I'm ready… if you are, Liara." She told her.

It was now or never but Liara felt her nerves paralyzing her. She leaned into Shepard, resting her head against the human's shoulder, breath playing against her throat. Shepard swallowed hard at the feel of the asari's warm breath and wrapped both arms around her waist. They kissed again but this one was needy and passionate… meant to distract and encourage. Shepard could feel Liara's tension in her back and strengthened her efforts to relax the asari, moving her mouth to press kisses and gentle love-bites to her neck, though she could only hover close to her jaw due to the high collar of her lab coat. The need to meld started to come back, stronger than earlier. She wanted to do this with Shepard and a few racing heart beats and a teasing bite to the corner of her jawline was enough for desire to over-ride fear.

Shepard's entire body gave a jolt as Liara initiated the meld without warning, catching a glance of her black eyes, mesmerize and just a bit creepy all at the same time. At first, she wasn't sure what to make of what she was feeling but only a few seconds passed before her skin broke out in goosebumps. Her spine tingled and she could feel the scar starting to itch but there was no hiding anything now. Liara was there and she could see and feel everything… just as Shepard could feel and see everything in the asari's mind. Before, it had just been sharing of information between them but this… it was chaotic bliss. They were both drowning in clashing tides of raw emotion and memories with no rhyme or reason to them. Memories flashed by from the moment both were brought screaming into the world to everything up to this moment. Every pain was shared, every crush and heart-break, all the anger and sorrow… over a hundred years of experiences suddenly became 'theirs'.

When it calmed, Liara chanced a look at Shepard and felt her heart drop. The woman was shaking, eyes squeezed shut as if in pain. She reached out to touch her and the human jumped when her fingers grazed along her cheekbone, eyes wide. Her pupils were dilated, black bleeding into green, flickers of blue in their depths.

"Shepard, I'm sorry, I'll…" Liara stammered, starting to withdraw.

"No!" Shepard yelped as soon as she felt the asari's mind retreating from her, grabbing her and hugging her close, tears in her eyes.

Liara was confused by Shepard's behavior, feeling the woman's body shake with each inhale and exhale. She could feel the human's lips moving but she couldn't hear what she was saying but she could feel it, echoing faintly across their bond so she strengthened it. Re-establishing the connection seemed to relax Shepard all of a sudden and Liara could suddenly 'hear' what she was unable to voice.

_I love you_.

Repeated over and over like a mantra, Shepard still clung to her, mind a swirl of awe and confusion and curiosity, so many feelings at once but she didn't feel the usual despair and guilt and fury, not even at her core. There were traces but the brunt of it was just gone.

"S-Shepard. Are you… alright?" She asked, finding herself still pinned.

"Yes! Fuck, I'm sorry I just… that was… how do I even begin to describe it? It hurt but I… I feel so… alive? Happy? I feel like I could punch a kroagn in the face and NOT break my hand." Shepard said, fumbling over her own thoughts.

Liara winced when she realized that she was hearing what Shepard wanted to say in her head a second before she actually spoke, which was creating a weird echo effect that was hurting her head.

_Laura… just think, don't speak. You're making an echo._

_*Huh? Oh… right. This is weird but cool! I can feel you… well, in here and out there… this is kinda confusing actually. Oh! Are... are you ok?_

_I am fine… more than fine. This is… wonderful. I can't think of a word to accurately describe what happened. We… we are together._

_*Together… sounds perfect._

A stray thought interrupted the conversation, though Liara was fairly certain it stemmed from Shepard's desires, consider it was a hazy thought of the red-head down between Liara's legs, doing…

_*Shit, you weren't supposed to see that… or that one._ Shepard thought as another stray thought passed through her mind, just as twardy as the last.

_I've already seen them all Shepard… though the guide didn't really cover the physical side of this. I'm curious where you got these ideas… Staff Lieutenant Amanda Shay perhaps?_ Came Liara's mirthful retort

_*Nope, not talking about her or even thinking about her ever. You, out of your clothes. Now._

Liara could only laugh as Shepard immediately attempted to unfasten Liara's lab coat, though after a minute of fumbling, the asari had to help her. Undressing each other wasn't as eloquent as either imagined but with only desire and lust echoing across the remaining tendrils of their bond as it weakened, the asari focused on other things. Though the absence of each other's thoughts was saddening, it was quickly replaced by the feel of skin against skin as they shed the last bits of clothing.

Shepard couldn't help gawking at Liara. She hadn't really thought of the female form as attractive… until now. Liara was just… perfect. A beautiful shade of blue with freckles not only across her nose and cheekbone, but the tops of her breasts as well. The color deepened as her eyes lowered to the asari's hip and Liara immediately tried to cover herself.

"Hey! Don't block my view." Shepard teased.

A moment later, the tables were turned on her as Liara looked Shepard over. The woman was well fit and she was actually a bit surprised they were rather similar in terms of proportion. Though, Liara had to quirk her brows when her eyes wandered down, a bit confused by the fact Shepard lacked… something. The woman noticed the look immediately and flushed.

"What? Is something… wrong? It's the scar, isn't it?" Shepard asked worriedly, suddenly becoming self-conscious.

"What? No! It's not the scar, it's just that… well… I'm just surprised that you… the guide said humans typically have hair…"

"Oh! Hahah, your guide would be right but I… shave mine. Can we just go back to kissing? That seems like a good distraction for us and this is getting awkward fast." Shepard chuckled, running her fingers through her hair.

"Yes, I could use the distraction." Liara agreed.

Shepard pulled her to the bed, the asari crawling on top of her as the human drew her down to kiss her. They explored and learned what touches made them burn for more, burned away all thoughts of Saren and geth and the Reapers and narrowed the world down to just this… them, together. Shepard tried to be gentle but it was so hard to keep her desire under control… she wanted the asari so badly.

Liara yelped in surprise when Shepard flipped them over, seeing the hunger in her eyes, the wolfish grin that was only reserved for targets caught in the scope of her gun. It sent pleasure shivers racing down her spine and made her core pulse. Only tendrils of the meld remained, transmitting echoes of the most fore-front emotions to each other. The asari relaxed as the human took the lead, kisses trailing down her neck and to her shoulders, teeth and tongue blazing a wet course down to the valley between her breasts. Liara ran her fingers through the human's hair, gasping and mewling as the attention given to her was new and alien and oh so very wonderful.

"If it hurts, please tell me." Shepard whispered against her 'ear'.

At first, the asari was confused but the question died on her tongue as she suddenly became aware of where one of Shepard's hands had wandered. The gentle, nervous graze of finger tips on her inner thigh, tracing the tender flesh where leg met hip. Shepard wasn't sure what to expect as her fingers, attentively, explored that apex but relief washed through her as she found familiar ground. Liquid heat, soft flesh… and Liara seemed very appreciative of the touch as she grew more confident. However, she noticed there was a rather large difference between them. Liara caught the quizzical emotions and lifted her head, a bit dazed but lucid enough to give Shepard a worried look.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, voice a bit hoarse.

"No, just… well, I dunno why I expected an asari to have one considering you guys don't breed like we do." Shepard admitted sheepishly, her face turning red.

"Have a what?" Liara, now curious.

The human struggled to answer her, face getting redder so she decided to be more direct. Since the human had her hand between her legs, it had to do with something there that was different between them. Of course, Liara had expected them to be different but she wondered what it was that Shepard was having trouble voicing. The human swore and gasped when she felt Liara's fingers gently probe her slicked entrance, gently exploring to find what was so different. So far, Liara found they were relatively the same in terms of structure and placement… that was, until she curled one finger up and…

"Fuck!" Shepard exclaimed, her hips suddenly bucking forward into Liara's touch, grip tightening on the bedsheets.

"Are you ok?" Liara asked, pulling her hand away.

"Ya, Fuck, I'm just… a bit sensitive…" She mumbled, breaths coming in short pants all of a sudden.

Intrigued by the human's reaction, Liara searched for that spot again until she got the same reaction out of the woman. She realized she was touching a taunt nub of flesh. This was different from asari and she remembered a vague reference in the guide… something about friction? Liara couldn't really remember but she was quite pleased with the expressions and sounds coming from Shepard as she experimented with different ways to touch that particular spot, alternative strokes and pressure. The human's strong arms and shoulder twitched and trembled, she was gasping for air and bucking her hips into Liara's hand until a sudden jolt ran through the human's body and she made a strangled gasping sound. Liara watched… well, studied, the human's reaction until she went lax, pressing her forehead against Liara's shoulder.

"Fuck… that was… fast." Shepard panted, eyes sideways to look at Liara.

"Huh?" Liara asked quizzically.

"I should really read your little… guide. I… damn, most would be embarrassed for getting off that fast but damn that felt good. REALLY good." She laughed, lifting her head so she could look at her asari lover, smiling warmly.

Liara was both delighted and disappointed when she realized she had given Shepard an orgasm. Did that mean the night was finished? A trace of worry crossed her face and a mischievous grin cross the Commander's smile.

"I'm not finished with you yet, my pretty sapphire. I am far from finished with you."

* * *

Liara lay beside Shepard already sound asleep, resting her head on her shoulder as the human stroked the back of her crest gently. The Commander glanced over at the clock on her nightstand and saw they only had an hour before they'd been on the final approach. She felt relaxed and anxious at the same time. Her few hours of sleep had been troubled but she didn't want to disturb Liara at all, not with the asari looking so graceful and beautiful. However, she didn't realize that she was still linked to Liara and her anxious thoughts were enough to wake her up.

"Nnn…. Why are you awake?" Liara mumbled, eyes fluttering open.

"Did I wake you?" Shepard immediately responded, stroking her fingers down the back of Liara's neck, feeling the asari shiver a little.

"Kind of but… it's almost time, isn't it? Did you sleep at all?" Liara asked as she lifted her head, draping an arm across

"Enough to function. I'm always like this before a big mission, comes with being the one in charge." She replied with a sigh, not wanting to get up.

"We'll stop Saren and Sovereign… together." Liara told her firmly, leaning over to plant a gentle, reassuring kiss on the human's cheek before getting out of bed and gathering up her clothes.

Laura took a moment to watch her dress before getting up and doing the same. Her chest suddenly ached and she felt incredibly sad and fearful. It took a moment for her to realize those feelings were coming from Liara, a few threads from their meld still lingering between them. Laura walked up behind the asari and wrapped her arms around her, holding her close.

"I won't let anything happen to you or the team… not like on Virmire. All of us will make it out of this alive."


	16. Sovereign's Fall

_And here we come to the end of the arc of the first game. There will be bridge chapter before moving into ME2's story arc. Hope you continue to enjoy the story._

_EDIT 1: Little bit of clean up on this one is all_

* * *

They sat at the top of the roadway, the MAKO's engines growling. Everyone could see the Conduit before them… literally a miniature mass relay that was a one way trip to the Citadel. There was a small army of geth between them and the Conduit and they had only one goal; stop Shepard and her team.

"Well… I knew this vehicle would be the death of us." Ashley joked darkly.

"At least we'll go down in a blaze of glory but… fortune favors the bold. Everyone hold on tight, this is gonna be a bumpy ride." Shepard replied just as darkly, pressing her foot down on the gas.

The shields barely held when they made the jump but they made it, thrown into the Presidum where the Conduit's partner, which everyone had assumed was a monument until now, stood. The MAKO hit the ground hard and the axel snapped, sending two of the wheels bouncing off and the vehicle into a roll before it slammed into the side of the building in an immediate halt. Luckily, the occupants were alive, though a bit bruised and banged. Once everyone piled out, Shepard gave her orders. Wrex and Tali would follow her after Saren while the rest of the team, under Ashley's command, would assist in evacuation efforts. Liara was dismayed that she would be separated from the Commander in this critical moment.

"Laura… please be careful." She pleaded as everyone finished getting ready.

"I have this strange magnetism for danger Liara so… no promises but I will come back to you. I won't let anything in the universe keep us apart." She replied, trying to make light of the situation without much success.

Liara bit her bottom lip a little in worry as Shepard turned from her to join up with Wrex and Tali by the elevator. The Commander only stopped when Liara called out her name, the asari grabbing her arm and forcing her to turn once more to face her. Shepard's eyes were widened with surprise when Liara flung her arms around her neck and pulled the human's head down for a fierce, desperate kiss. Everyone either made cat-calls or snide remarks about the moment when they pulled apart, the human looking a bit bewildered.

"Incentive to come back alive." Liara whispered to her before hurrying off to join Ashley's team.

"Liara's got you wrapped around her little blue finger, Shepard… course if you end up dying, she's gonna take it out on us." Wrex joked, clapping her on the back and bringing her back to reality.

"Oh shove it Wrex. Let's go, we've got a turian to kill."

"You've been a thorn in my side since the beginning Shepard, but it's already too late! Sovereign will open the Citadel Relay and the Reapers will return! But, you will not live to see it!" Saren screeched as he fired at the pedestal she was hiding behind.

Shepard flinched and ground her teeth together as bits of debris sprayed from the shot, some of it striking her cheek. He had the advantage and Saren was managing to keep the three of them pinned. Shepard noted he looked nothing like he had on Virmire. There were tubes sticking out of the left side of his chest and connecting to his neck and arm. He was looking more like a Husk than turian now. Whatever Sovereign had done to him since Virmire… it had driven Saren beyond reason.

"Saren! This isn't going to save anyone! You've played right into the Reapers hands!" She shouted at him.

"No! They will spare those that serve them loyally. As long as I have purpose…"

"You're just a tool! Have you looked in a mirror lately?! You've become what Sovereign wants; a pawn! A puppet in which he tells you what to do and you do it! You don't control anything, not even yourself!" She screamed back at him, daring to poke her head out.

Saren howled, clawed hands clapped to his head, mandibles furiously flexing. He seemed to be having trouble coping with her words. Honestly, she hadn't expected that to have this effect… she was hoping it would distract him long enough to get Tali and Wrex into better positions around the room.

"N-no! This… this isn't what I wanted! What… what have I done?!" Saren lamented, staring at his hands as if he were looking at them for the first time.

Cautiously, Shepard stood up and walked out from behind her cover, Wrex hissing at her to get back. She still had her pistol trained on Saren but all the turian did was stare at her in return.

"Help me fight Sovereign. We can still stop it before the relay is opened." She said in a calmer voice, slowly approaching him step by step.

"No… it's too late for me Shepard. You… you were the soldier I could never be. I was so blinded by my hatred… the rage, I thought Sovereign was the answer. It is much too late for me… Sovereign has replaced much of my body with machinery. I am beyond saving." Saren replied, a hint of regret in his voice.

"Then how do I stop Sovereign? It must have a weakness." Shepard pressed, pausing her steps.

"I wish you luck, Shepard… but there is no stopping them now." Saren said, raising his pistol and putting it to his temple.

The shot made her flinch when Saren blew his brains out, falling from his platform and shattering the glass beneath, landing in the garden below the control console. Cautiously, Shepard peered over the edge, seeing the turian's corpse lying there, blue blood oozing from the open hole in his skull. Wrex and Tali joined her a moment later.

"Make sure he's dead. I'll try and over-ride Sovereign's attempt at opening the relay." She ordered to Wrex and Tali.

"Commander! The Destiny Ascension is requesting assistance. The geth are going to destroy the ship if we don't help." Joker suddenly interjected before Wrex and Tali left.

"Shepard… if you help the Destiny Ascension, there's a chance the Alliance won't have enough ships to fight Sovereign." Tali warned.

"I know… and I could care less about the Council but... tell Admiral Hackett to protect the Destiny Ascension! The Council must survive this." She relayed to Joker, though she was not confident in the decision.

Shepard ran to the control panel and placed in the data disk they had retrieved on Ilos. Suddenly, text in a foreign language appeared on the screen, behaving by itself. Though she didn't recognize it, she could read it. Shepard suspected that since this was Prothean she was able to understand it because of the Cypher… not that she had any clue on what it was doing. Shepard jumped a little when she heard a shot and looked down to see Wrex had put another bullet in Saren's head.

Suddenly, the platform gave a violent shake and there was a blinding red light coming from Saren's corpse. It suddenly sprang to life, the machinery inside still very much intact as Sovereign took control of the former turian. Flesh burned away from the metal, limbs stretching out, eyes glowing with red light. The discharge of energy was so powerful, it threw Wrex and Tali to the ground and broke the platform above. Shepard swore as she felt the ground pitch forward and she went tumbling, unable to maintain her balance. She hit the ground hard and tumbled across the garden before finally managing to stop a few feet shy of the wall. Shepard looked up to find Saren… no, whatever the hell Sovereign had turned Saren into, staring right at her.

"MOVE!" Wrex roared as a beam of light suddenly pointed right at her head.

Shepard swore and rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding the shot seconds later. Wrex threw a warp but the construct nimbly dodged it. The garden erupted into a chaotic scene of gun fire but the Saren-husk was much too fast and packing both fire power and unmatched strength. Tali missed her shot and it lunged at Shepard, sending them both tumbling across the grass. She screamed angrily as she felt razor sharp claws tear through her armor and into flesh. Wrex slammed into the husk hard, knocking it off her as Tali opened fire to drive it off. Blood was streaming out of the gashes in her armor on her arms, side, and one large cut across her chest. Luckily, both armor and suit had absorbed most of the damage so the cuts to her body were flesh wounds but her kinetic barrier was disabled.

"This ends now!" Shepard yelled with vigor and rage.

The husk did not respond at all, simply kept on the attack. It jumped and crawled at speeds that made it hard to keep up with but Shepard was not a fool. Though not a tactician, she thought well on her feet and adapted to grim situations quickly. She started throwing grenades onto the walls and, coordinating with Wrex and Tali, managed to lure the Saren-husk to one and immediately detonated it. The construct wailed as it was thrown off the wall, one of its limbs blown clean off. Crippled, they had the chance they needed and all three of them unloaded their weapons on it until it was in pieces. The Citadel shook again as the husk's energy fizzled out and they all heard the battle going on outside. Curious, they climbed their way out of the garden just as a massive flash of light filled the entire room, Sovereign being blown to bits.

"They did it!" Wrex shouted in glee.

"Yes they did…. One problem though." Shepard replied, not sharing in the victory just yet as she watched a massive piece of Sovereign coming hurtling right at them.

"RUN!"

* * *

With the remnants of the geth fleet on the run, the battle was over. Sovereign and Saren had failed but at a great cost. Pieces of the broken Reaper rained upon the Citadel, causing severe damage to several sectors. Ashley's team had sought cover when the rain of metal started, emerging hours later when C-SEC command was hailing them. They met with Anderson and several C-SEC officers in the Presidum, where much of the damage was concentrated during Saren's assault. Liara had been in several conflicts since crossing paths with Shepard but this… this was the first time she had been so intimately exposed to the realities of war. The destruction around them was appalling and difficult to believe but as it sank it, she felt both anger and sadness.

"Where's the Commander?" Anderson asked when he noticed the woman missing.

"MIA sir. She took a small team into the tower to stop Saren… oh no, they might have still been in there when that piece of Sovereign hit the Council Chamber!" Ashley replied.

"Jackson. Get some shuttles and notify Huerta that we may have more injured coming in." Anderson ordered.

Since the elevators were out, they had to take shuttles to reach the top of the tower. One of Soveriegn's legs was still sticking out of the massive window, though the mass effect fields around the tower kept the oxygen from escaping. When they got inside, the place was an absolute mess… and there was no sign of Shepard's team. Liara felt worry clench at her chest but refused to believe the worst had happened. Maybe they got out already but no one was responding to Ashley or Anderson's continued calls over the communication lines. Even Shepard's emergency line wasn't working.

"Hey! I found the krogan and quarian!" A C-SEC officer called part-way into the search.

They immediately rushed over as a couple of officers helped Wrex out from under a piece of warped metal that had pinned him. Both he and Tali looked unharmed, much to their relief but there was still no sign of the Commander.

"What happened? Where's the Commander?" Anderson asked.

"Don't know. She shoved Tali into me when all hell broke loose when that Reaper blew up. I lost sight of her over there before I got pinned." Wrex grumbled, shrugging off the med team that had just shown up to tend to any possible wounded.

Liara was already sprinting towards the area Wrex had pointed out, ignoring both Anderson and Ashley's cries to stop her. She climbed over wreckage and debris, calling out her name desperately and as loudly as she could. She swore she caught sight of movement to her right and stopped but after a moment, saw nothing there. Her fears started growing worse and worse as she searched aimlessly. Anderson and his men, along with the rest of the team, had also joined in the search but there was still no sign of her.

"Hey!" A familiar voice suddenly called, making everyone stop in place.

The asari looked up to find Shepard was about a dozen yards away, standing on top of a fallen piece of Sovereign. Her armor was cut open and covered in dirt, ash, and blood. She spotted Liara and smiled sheepishly, waving at her before carefully climbing down. Liara ran and greeted her with a massive hug as soon as the human's feet touched solid ground.

"AUGH! Watch the arm!" Shepard yelped as Liara crushed her broken arm right up against her armor.

"Oh Goddess, I'm sorry! What happened?!" Liara replied in shock, immediately pulling away from her.

"I had space ship parts fall on me… but I just broke my arm, I think. I'll be fine." She replied, still wincing.

"Your armor's been torn up too! There's a med team waiting, come on." Liara retorted, immediately slinging Shepard's good arm around her shoulders and helping her walk.

Commander Shepard was immediately taken to Huerta Medical, along with the rest of her team. She had broken several bones and lost a good amount of blood. The rest of her team, thankfully, checked out fine but she was confined to a hospital bed for a few days. The dead and injured were still being tallied but for now… the war was over. During her stay in the hospital, Shepard spent that time thinking about the Reapers… wondering if destroying Sovereign would really stop them. If they operated on a set time-table, just because they disabled the Citadel Relay didn't mean they would just give up. Instinct told her this was only the beginning… that the Reapers would come from dark space and they would destroy them if they sat around and did nothing.

However, the Council did not really share her concern. As far as they cared, the Reaper threat was over. With Saren dead, Sovereign in pieces, and the geth fleet scattered… everything could go back to the way it was.

"The efforts of you and your people… along with the assistance of the Alliance is greatly appreciated, Commander. We… apologize for not taking your warnings about Saren's plans…" Sparatus started to talk but Liara interrupted him.

"Sovereign's plans. Saren was a means to an end, not the master mind. I know how this is going to play out, especially since you're giving humanity a seat on the Council. You'll make up some bull shit story that that… monster that attacked was a geth ship and sweep it all under the rug. Dispose of what parts you grab before they make it out onto the black market. Give everyone a pat on the back and it'll be business as usual." She retorted in annoyance.

"Shepard, the Council and I will…"

"Oh shove it Udina… the only reason you get to be Councilor is because I respect Anderson too much to stick him with the rest of this circus." Shepard snapped at him, effectively shutting him up.

"All I ask… because I don't expect any of you to take this seriously in the next month, is that whatever you decide to do… whatever lie you feed the galaxy… that you don't squander the time we have sitting with your thumbs up your butts. The Reapers are out there and they know of us and they will come for us. One of those ships is a fleet on its own. Hundreds of them will be the end of us if you don't start making plans now." She said in a serious tone, green eyes flashing with hardened zeal.

"We will take your words to heart. This attack has been a lesson to us all but the remnants of Saren's geth fleet is still out there and we do not know what their motivations are now." Tevos interjected before an argument broke out, knowing that Shepard was purposely trying to bait them.

"I know what that's code for. My crew will be ready to depart in seventy-two hours. I think they all deserve some shore leave." Shepard retorted, not bothering to salute them before storming off.

When she reached the C-SEC offices, she found Liara waiting for her with Garrus. The two seemed to be absorbed in some kind of conversation but it quickly stopped when the turian noticed her showing up.

"Oh, don't let me interrupt you two. I can go pester the SPECTRE requisitions officer for a bit." She said with a grin.

"I wouldn't want to get between you two. The Commander might tear my arms off. You two have fun." Garrus teased suggestively before wandering off.

"Do I really come off that way?" Shepard asked, sounding a bit concerned.

"Garrus is just making fun of you, Shepard. How did it go with the Council?" Liara chuckled, leading her away from the C-SEC building again.

"Udina's already kissing their asses and they gave me a few pats on the back before, politely, telling me to go fuck myself in politician speech. They're going to have us route the remnants of the geth fleet after this shore leave is over." She retorted sourly.

"I'm guessing they still don't take the Reaper threat seriously."

"No… and they won't until the fleet is literally on top of us. I can't completely blame them, since they have to keep whole planets calm but I wish they wouldn't look at me like I'm insane. They didn't see what we saw and they want evidence… it practically rained down on them and they saw it right before them but they won't believe it… they're not going to until they come for us." Shepard sighed heavily.

"We won't let that happen. We know the truth… and we will be here to remind them when needed. Besides, I'll be here with you… along with the rest of the Normandy crew." Liara replied warmly, taking Shepard's hand in her own.

"At least one thing I'm confident in." She said, stopping and pulling the asari to her.

"And that is what?"

"Nothing will keep me from you, Liara. Nothing."


	17. Torn Asunder

_Apologies for the long delay yet again. Only a single chapter this time, since it is a 'bridge' between the first and second games' story arcs. I skimmed over referenced events from Redemption and Lost Paragon (very vague reference there). As always, thanks for the views and comments and look forward to more._

_I have plans for Hannah Shepard later on, you'll see. It'll be fantastic._

_EDIT 1: Major changes to the conversation with Hannah Shepard. I focused it more on being with just Liara and her instead of involving the whole crew as well as kept it at the memorial site. From here on, there will be lot of major changes._

_Shepard being a Spacer, I removed the whole house bit for the sake of continuity._

* * *

The day of the memorial service was filled with bitter sorrow. The crew was lucky so many of them had escaped but, unfortunately, Laura Shepard had not. Her body had not been recovered, so the Alliance was holding a memorial service for her on Earth, name added to a plaque of heroes that had been lost in the far reaches of space. Many attended though Liara, Garrus, Wrex, and Tali stood out amongst the multitude of humans. Joker was a mess, since he had been the last to see Shepard and according to him, she had died saving him. Liara wanted to blame him but knew that wasn't fair to Joker. They all had been hit by the loss of the Commander, their friend… her lover. Even Wrex couldn't completely hide his anger and sorrow.

Others were in attendance too, including Captain Anderson and Councilor Udina, though the Councilor only showed up to 'represent' the Council as a whole. The service included speeches by several people and then a twenty-one gun salute before a bronzed plaque was added to the wall. After the ceremony, the crowd dispersed, allowing the remnants of the team and the Normandy crew to pay their own respects. Liara could barely hold it together, choking back sobs as the loss of her lover still felt like her heart had been torn from her. Ashley wrapped an arm around her shoulder to support her, her own eyes red and moist with unshed tears. Even after it was over, Liara decided to linger, wanting a few minutes alone with her grief. So absorbed in anger and pain, she didn't hear the footfalls in the grass behind her.

"Excuse me but I don't mean to intrude…" A stern but oddly familiar voice called out.

At first, Liara's heart leapt at the sound of the voice, since it sounded so much like Laura's but when she lifted her head to see who it was, she had to do a double take. The woman standing there looked like an older version of the Commander. She had dark auburn hair and an eye patch over her right eye. She was also dressed in a dress uniform, numerous medals pinned to the left side of her chest.

"Sorry, I'll get out of your way." Liara said meekly, taking a couple of steps to the side.

The woman gave her a sad smile and approached the memorial, a single white lily in her hand. She stood there in silence for a few minutes before setting the flower with the others and turning to face her.

"You must be Dr. T'Soni." The woman said, not asked.

"I'm sorry but… do I know you?"

"I would be surprised if you did. My daughter was never fond of discussing me with her lovers, even before we… had our little spat. I am Hannah Shepard, Laura's mother."

"Goddess, I am so sorry. Laura… never mentioned you." Liara replied in embarrassment, wiping tears from her eyes and sniffling.

"That's quite alright kiddo. What are you doing out here alone?"

"I… needed time… alone."

"I understand. Grief… it's never an easy thing to bear. Would you… like to get a cup of tea with me, Dr. T'Soni? I would like to know the kind of woman my daughter became, if you don't mind indulging an old woman." Hannah offered.

Intrigued by meeting a member of Shepard's family, Liara decided there'd be no harm in spending some time with Hannah. Though all of Shepard's memories were part of her now, there had been gaps in her early child hood. Hannah took them to a small café on the outskirts of Vancouver. Liara was aware of the stares she was getting, since it wasn't very often asari or any of the alien species visited the human's mother world. She let Hannah order, sitting there in a pensive and gloomy mood.

"I understand you and my daughter were lovers. I never thought she'd fall for an asari." Hannah chuckled.

"H-how… how would you know that?" Liara asked in surprise.

"Shepard sent me a message a month before the attack on the Citadel. She… I hadn't talked to her in at least a couple of years. She apologized… spoke about her crew and you. The way she spoke about you… I've never heard such adoration in her voice. She was over the moon for you."

Liara felt her heart throb, a sad smile touching her lips at the thought Shepard bragging to her estranged mother. It was warming but that feeling was quickly overshadowed by pain and sadness she had been feeling for weeks now. Hannah noticed her look and set her cup down.

"Losing the one you love so dearly… it hurts. It feels like a knife twisting in your heart. When I was looking after Laura, batarians attacked Elysium… the Skyllian Blitz they called it. That stubborn fool died protecting his students. Losing him, Laura barely alive with little chance of a full recovery… it broke me. I neglected her, gave up on her and before I realized my mistake, I had lost her anyway. Now… she's truly gone and I have so many regrets…" Hannah started to say, her last few words broken up as tears streamed from her good eye and she started to sob.

Liara, sympathy going for this woman, got up and slid into the seat beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. The human started for a moment, looking up at her with those same green eyes. At least she knew where Shepard had gotten her good looks from.

"Laura was a fantastic woman. Strong, loyal… she worried that what had happened to her would affect the crew but she toughed through it all. I'll… I'll always love her and… I will always carry part of her with me." Liara said softly.

"Must have been truly special if Laura was willing to open herself up like that. I understand melding is a pretty big deal for asari." Hannah agreed, wiping her eye with a napkin.

They talked for a bit longer but Liara knew she needed to return to her lodgings. They walked back to the graveyard, where Liara's escort was still waiting for her. Hannah placed a hand on her shoulder to stop the asari for a moment, fishing something out of her pocket and placing it in the asari's hand. Liara looked at it in confusion, a ring made of braided burnished gold and inlaid with emeralds. She looked up at Hannah to see her smiling.

"What is this?" She asked.

"The only thing I can do for my daughter now. She asked me for it in her message. It's the engagement ring her father, Aiden, gave to me when we were young."

It took a moment for the implication of 'engagement' to sink in but when it did, Liara covered her mouth with her other hand and felt a fresh wave of tears well up in her eyes. Knowing that Laura had wanted to marry her, to spend the rest of the human's life-span with her… a future together.

"I… I can't accept this Hannah." She mumbled in sorrowed awe.

"Please, keep it. Let an old woman have the satisfaction of honoring her daughter's last wish… plus, it would have been yours anyway. You'll appreciate it more than I can now." Hannah said, drawing the asari to her with a hug.

"Liara, if you ever need someone to talk with or… just have a cup of tea. Don't hesitate to give me a call. I'd like to get to you better, if that's alright." She told her.

"I… I would like that Hannah. Thank you."

The thought of getting to know Hannah, and through her getting to know Laura better, was appealing but she needed time to think about it. The asari pocketed the ring and thanked the human for her words and time before giving her a hug and leaving. Liara returned to the hotel the squad was staying in but she felt restless. She couldn't help but stare at the ring given to her, the implications of what could have been resonating deep within her.

The trip back to the Citadel was awkwardly quiet, especially with the human part of the crew missing. It was just Liara, Garrus, Wrex, and Tali on a ship and even when they got to the Citadel, they ended up going their separate ways. Without Shepard, there was nothing holding them together. Garrus returned to C-SEC, Wrex and Tali went to their respective homes, leaving Liara by herself. At first, she tried throwing herself back into her research but after everything… all it did was make her think about Shepard. The grief was still too raw, too strong… and it was slowly eating her alive. She took on an apprentice to help her refocus on her Prothean studies… to help prepare for the Reapers but it bore little fruit and did even less to keep her mind off her grief.

* * *

Only a couple of months passed before the rumors started to emerge; that Shepard had been found. At first, they were just wayside tabloid rumors and conspiracies about the Commander. Though still listed as MIA in the official records, some were starting to speculate that the destruction of the Normandy had been used to hide the fact she had gone deep undercover… but Liara knew that wasn't the case. She picked through everything she could find, even the findings on the increasing Collector attacks on human colonies on the fringes of the Traverse… and Shepard's body. That was what consumed her even more when word spread that, at first, people had sighted the Commander but Liara had picked them all apart as hoaxes. However, word that her body may have been recovered gave her hope… hope to put this all to rest at last.

She got in touch with a reliable contact on Omega… at least, she believed him to be reliable at first. A Drell named Feron who had once worked for the Shadow Broker but now was employed by Cerberus and through him, Cerebrus wanted Liara to recover Shepard's body and give it to them. She, tentatively, agreed and only because she wanted to get ahold of Shepard's body before the Shadow Broker did… who intended to sell it to the Collectors for reasons unknown. The whole adventure… or disaster as she viewed it, had so many close calls and in the end, Feron used himself to buy Liara time to escape with the Commander's body.

When she got to the facility, Miranda was waiting for her. Several humans in lab coats immediately took possession of the coffin, checking the systems and readings on it before handing Miranda a datapad and leaving with it. She took a step as if to stop them but stopped.

"The body is in worse shape that we first speculated... this may not work." Miranda commented as she looked over the information handed to her.

"Then… this was for nothing. This is wrong… Laura should be buried." Liara replied, crestfallen.

"We don't know what the Collectors interest in Shepard's body… so there's no guarantee they wouldn't attack Earth or anywhere to recover her. The Lazarus Project will go ahead as planned."

"What about Feron? The Shadow Broker has him by now." Liara demanded, suddenly sounding very agitated.

"He knew the risks when he took the job. You are welcome to go after him if you'd like. I'm sure the Shadow Broker would be eager to meet you in person, Dr. T'Soni." Miranda replied a bit coldly before leaving.

Liara just stood there, feeling dirty for what she had done. Everything decent about her screamed that she shouldn't have done this but she just couldn't let go. If there was just the slimmest of chances of getting Shepard back… she had to take it. No matter what, she couldn't ignore what her aching heart wanted and though it would have been the right and noble thing to lay her lover to rest, Liara couldn't… wouldn't let herself do that.

Though the end of this journey, Liara had a new purpose now… someone else needed her help and she'd be damned if she didn't do everything she could to rescue Feron and punish the Shadow Broker.


	18. Fiery Rebirth

_Finally, moving into the ME2 story arc now. Long delay but, I finally made some progress. There was one thing about ME2 that kinda rankled me and it was just how easily Shepard accepted the whole 'oh, you've been dead this whole time' situation... so, Laura has a bit of a harder time coping with that fact as well as the repercussions of being alive._

_Hope you readers continue to enjoy!_

_EDIT 1: So the ME2 part of Scars will have some big shifts to it as I continue finishing the redraft and write new chapters. The flow will be more of a reckless Shepard leaning closer to being a Renegade through most of the story than sticking on a Paragon alignment._

_"Shit… running out of air… can't stop spinning… gonna die… can't breathe… air… Liara…"_

Shepard woke up gasping for air, the pain of drowning on nothing agonizing as oxygen rushed into her lungs. A sharp pain in her side made her groan and the shaking wasn't helping… wait, shaking? Disoriented, she lifted her head and, slowly, sat up. Her entire body ached but that wasn't what was weirding her out.

"H-how… how am I alive?" She muttered, staring at her hands as if seeing them for the first time.

"Shepard! Shepard, can you hear me?!" An unfamiliar female voice called over the intercom system in the room.

"Who's that?" Shepard called, unsure if the person could even hear her.

"Good, you're awake. The soreness and weakness should wear off but… you need to get up. Now. There's a locker across the room with equipment. Make your way to the shuttle bay as quickly as possible." The woman ordered.

"Wait! What the fuck is going on?!" Shepard yelled but received no answer.

"Great…" she growled as she swung her legs over and attempted to stand.

Her knees immediately buckled from underneath her and she fell to the floor before she could catch herself. Pain radiated through her entire body, like she had been shot several times but there was no injuries that she could feel. Slowly, Shepard picked herself up and braced herself on the table until her legs felt strong enough to stand on her own. She limped over to the locker and opened it, finding a suit of armor emblazoned with the N7 red and white stripe on the right arm. She frowned, wondering if she was in some kind of Alliance hospital but the place was constantly shaking and she was certain she could hear gunfire somewhere.

After getting dressed and arming herself with, unfortunately, an empty gun, she stumbled out of the infirmary and found herself in an unfamiliar hallway. Having no clue as to where she was supposed to be going, she wandered about carefully. It seemed the security droids had gone rouge and were purging the whole station… though Laura still had no idea who this station belonged to or where the hell it was located. All she knew was that she had woken up in hell.

When she emerged in a main corridor, she saw a man pinned down by several mechs across the way. She recognized the yellow symbol on his sleeve as the insignia to Cerberus and grimaced. Had she been taken captive? Why couldn't she remember anything after saving Joker? Her last few memories were of running out of air, choking on nothing…

"Damn, didn't think you were awake Shepard. They said you'd be on ice for another six months." The man said as she slid into cover next to him.

"I'm still trying to get up to speed. Who the fuck are you and where the fuck am I and the FUCK is going on?!" Shepard demanded, her temper very short right now.

The man introduced himself as Jacob, part of the facility's security team... and the last surviving member as far as he was aware. He explained to her what he knew, that Shepard had indeed died during the attack on the Normandy but Cerberus recovered her body and spent nearly three years and billions of credits putting her back together… but for what purpose, he did not know. With his help, they made their way through the facility and to the shuttles with Wilson, only to run into the voice she had been hearing from bits and pieces of audio logs and who had woken her up, Miranda Lawson. She immediately shot Wilson without a moment's hesitation. Shepard immediately leapt back and aimed her gun at Miranda.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Everyone just calm down here." Jacob cut in worriedly.

"I want answers! Now! I'm tired of being fucked with around here and I know you Cerberus people are dangerous. How long have you kept me prisoner here?" Laura demanded, lips curling in aggravation.

"You weren't a prisoner… you were a patient, as I'm sure you've discovered on your own. Now you have two choices… you can stay here and burn with the station or you can come with us and find out what this is all about." Miranda retorted coldly, completely unphased by having a weapon pointed at her.

"Why are you staring at me?" Shepard asked in an aggressive tone.

"To determine if the Lazarus Project was a success, I have to run a psychological profile on you to ensure you are who you are, Shepard." She replied curtly.

"I'm not answering any of your fucking questions. Where are we going?" Shepard refused flatly.

"Another Cerberus facility. Shepard, we're not your enemies here." Jacob interjected, deciding to try and smooth things over.

"Sure you aren't. How the hell did I end up as your… patient? All I remember is the Normandy blowing up…"

"And you were killed. You've spent nearly three years dead, Shepard. We retrieved your corpse and the Illusive Man has poured billions of credits and a great deal of Cerberus's resources into bringing you back... though I am beginning to find it a bit of a waste." Miranda explained to her.

"The Illusive Man? The man behind Cerberus? What the bloody fuck does he want with me?"

"A lot's happened in the three years you've been gone. Now, I'd like to get these questions over with before we arrive."

After going through the questionnaire, they had arrived at the station. Shepard felt like a fish out of water… especially with trying to understand that she had missed on almost three years of time and events. Udina and the Council were shaping new galactic policies, Alliance colonies had expanded further into the Traverse and, consequently, suddenly going dark. Of course… the whole Reaper matter had been swept under the rug. She wondered how many people had died on the Normandy and if any of her companions had been taken. She thought to ask, but decided to save those questions for the Illusive Man himself. However… it was simply a holographic meeting. She wasn't all that surprised it was not face to face. No one knew who the Illusive Man was or where he was.

He explained the situation, that the colonies were going dark and that the Collectors were, highty likely, behind the kidnappings. At first, Shepard was dubious about entire colonies being kidnapped but when he explained that was whom who attacked the Normandy three years ago and she recalled the size of the ship and its fire-power… it didn't seem so far-fetched. However, the idea of being forced to help Cerberus left a bitter taste in the back of her throat, she had no choice but to comply. Once out of the meeting room, Miranda and Jacob were standing around, waiting. She decided, as much as she didn't like the woman, to start with Miranda.

"I take it the meeting with the Illusive Man went well?" Miranda asked.

"Sure, we'll go with that. I trusted you not to shoot me back on that station so I think I'm due some god damn answers now." Shepard grumbled sourly at her in return.

"Fair enough… though I don't know what more I can tell you."

"H-How? I shouldn't be alive… this is a fucking impossibility. I cannot be me… no one can resurrect the dead. I'm a fucking clone, aren't I?" Shepard demanded, so many questions coming to mind.

"I assure you Shepard that you are not a clone but the one and only. Your body was in terrible shape when it was recovered from Alchera. I was the leader of the Lazarus Project… and for awhile, I believed the Illusive Man was wasting his time and Cerberus's resources on you but in the end, he was right."

"But why? Why the fuck did you have to perform some Frankenstein shit on me for… disappearing colonies?!"

"The Alliance and the Council aren't doing much to help and the fact that the Collectors are involved, who normally haven't been anywhere near this active or hostile. The Illusive Man suspects the Reapers are involved in the Collector's sudden aggressive behavior… and they were after you specifically."

"After me?"

"Yes… they attempted to retrieve your corpse with the assistance of the Shadow Broker." Miranda replied.

"That still doesn't answer why the fuck anyone would… would play god! Why me?!" Shepard demanded.

"You are a hero, Shepard. A great deal of the galaxy changed after what you managed to accomplish against Saren and Sovereign… and many will look to you again."

Shepard wasn't buying anything from Miranda but talking to Jacob didn't help matters much. He was completely clueless about the Lazarus Project and things going on in general, only knowing whatever he was told. She was surprised he had once been an Alliance man and that only made her more suspicious of him. Cerberus was very pro-human and she didn't approve of their extreme and violent methods to get their agenda across. However, she would have to swallow her misgivings and work with them for the time being… at least, until she could get in touch with someone from her crew and figure out what was going on.

It was eerie how empty Freedom's Progress was… the silence reminded her of the colony on Akuze… though it was really bothering her that there was no signs of conflict at all. How did an entire colony just… vanish like that? No corpses, blood, bullet marks… only the mechs that made up the colony's defense grid but evecn they appeared untouched by whatever had claimed the colonists. No signs of life at all… at least, not until they barged into one of the abandoned home units…

"Shepard?!"

"Tali?!"

Shepard stared in surprise at the quarian, recognizing her by both voice and her distinctive suit. It hadn't changed since then, but then Shepard felt like she had only seen her barely a day ago… not three years. She immediately holstered her weapon and hugged Tali as they met in the middle. Both of their teams seemed confused by the interaction but neither really cared.

"You're alive! I… I can't believe it!" Tali said, voice lofty with disbelief.

"Believe me, I'm as shocked as you are. Did everyone make it off the Normandy?"

"The squad did and most of the crew but… you and twenty of the crew were killed, including Pressley. How… where have you been all this time?"

"You wouldn't believe me…"

"Commander. I'd hate to interrupt this little reunion but we have a mission to finish up here." Miranda chided impatiently.

Laura glared at Miranda and blew her off, pulling Tali aside so they could speak privately. She was here looking for a quarian named Veetor, who had settled in the colony as part of his Pilgrimage. They suspected that during the initial attack on Freedom's Progress, his suit had had a serious breech and he was now delirious and quite ill. She was here to bring him home and have him properly treated bu Veetor had reprogrammed all the mechs to protect him. Getting to him wasn't going to be easy but Laura trusted Tali and decided, despite Miranda's misgivings, they would work together. Tali mistrusted Cerberus for obvious reasons but she didn't believe her friend was working with them by choice.

However, Tali's team did not share the same trust or sentiment as her and as soon as the two groups had a good distance between each other, they attempted to rush ahead and get to Veetor before Shepard's team did… only to meet death at the hands of an YMIR that Veetor had hacked as his last line of defense. By the time they arrived, most of Tali's team was dead. With Shepard there, however, the YMIR was soon destroyed, leaving the way to Veetor clear. The poor quarian wasn't even aware of them when they first entered the control room. He was replaying a video on the security feeds over and over again… one that revealed that the Collectors had indeed been here and had, somehow, managed to take every one of the colonists.

"We have what we need." Shepard said with a note of finality in her voice.

"We should take Veetor into custody and bring him back with us. He might have answers…" Miranda started to interject, Tali interrupting her only to have them both silence by Shepard.

"Let's get one thing straight, Mrs. Lawson. You may be the Illusive Man's right hand but I am only working WITH Cerberus, not FOR you. Get that distinction quite clear in your head. Veetor is going back with Tali so he can be treated properly by his own. This video will be enough. Do I make myself clear?" She growled at her.

Miranda's brow furrowed and she could see the woman's jaw tighten but she protested no further. Once Veetor was escorted out of the room, Tali and Shepard went outside to talk. Seeing the quarian had brought some relief… but also raised so many questions, she wasn't sure where to start.

"Shepard, what happened?" Tali asked, finally breaking the frozen silence between them.

"I… this is going to sound crazy but, I don't know. I remember the attack clearly… it feels like yesterday. I shoved Joker into the escape pod but an explosion knocked me away so… I just sent him off before the ship's next attack and then… there was this huge flash."

Shepard started to shake, her breath getting short. It was like having one of her flashbacks, but this was so fresh... Remembering it was jarring but at the same time, part of her had a hard time coping with the fact that it HAD happened. That it had been real.

"I was suddenly thrown from the wreckage and by the time I managed to slow myself… so many alarms were going off. My air hose got cut and I couldn't get to it… I could feel my oxygen running out… Tali, I felt myself die. I know I did but… somehow, Cerberus did what's supposed to be impossible. I don't know how but… they either pieced me back together or managed to clone me." Shepard sighed, running a hand through her mussed hair.

"I'm sure you'll figure out what happened Shepard. I have to get going… keep in touch, will you?" Tali said, patting her on the shoulder before bringing up her omni-tool so they could exchange contact information.

Shepard waited until she was gone before turning her attention back to the security room. Thankfully, they had what they needed and didn't need to loiter about Freedom's Progress any longer. However, the Commander was completely silent during the entire shuttle trip. She just stared out the window, watching the planet shrink and the stars go black. Miranda noted her silence with worry but keep her eyes from lingering for too long. She wondered what she and the quarian had talked about, surmising the alien had been quite surprised to see her former Commander alive and well… mostly well anyway. She would need to keep a close eye on her, just in case her mental stability took a sudden turn for the worse.

_To: Yeoman Kelly Chambers_

_From: Miranda Lawson_

_Commander Laura O. Shepard continues to exhibit aggressive behavior and confusion, which was expected since she was woken six months ahead of schedule. We encountered one of her alien squadmates, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya. Shepard allowed the quarian Veetor to return with her, permitting sentiment to overshadow rational logic. We did, however, retrieve what we needed so it's not a concern as of this moment._

_The Commander was very unreceptive to answering questions about her previous trauma and condition that stemmed from Akuze and I forsee she will continue to remain hostile about the matter but a proper evaluation is needed to determine if any risks to herself, the mission, or the crew need to be addressed immediately._

_I expect your full report within forty-eight hours._


	19. To Begin Anew

_As you may note, I'm beginning and ending each chapter through this phase of the ME story with messages between various characters as Shepard reconnects with people who had thought had lost her and makes new allies. They'll be fairly short as well so they're not eating up each chunks of space... though no promises, haha. The first few are gonna be pretty somber but I promise some of the ones you'll see will be a bit lighthearted._

_Thanks for the continued views :)_

_EDIT 1: If you noticed, the emails are going to be a little different as well, for continuity's sake._

* * *

_To: Tevara Ashan_

_From: Commander Laura O. Shepard_

_I'm alive, somehow. Long story but we need to talk. Shit's all wrong and I have very little friends I can count on right now._

_Please, just hear me out. I'll let you know when we can meet. I'm sorry… about everything that's happened. Nothing makes sense anymore._

* * *

"Back together again… fighting the good fight, right Commander?" Joker commented in a light tone, trying to cheer up Shepard's somber mood.

Shepard sat in the cockpit with him, watching him pilot the ship with the assistance of the Normandy's new, and unwanted, AI system EDI. Neither of them liked the idea that the ship could 'talk' and think but they didn't really have much choice in the matter at this point. She had a broody expression on her face, lost in thought.

When they had gotten back from Freedom's Progress, the Illusive Man gave her the task of putting together a new team. Her squad… they had all gone their separate ways. Wrex and Tali had gone back home to deal with their own matters. Ashley was promoted within the ranks of the Alliance, Garrus had gone off grid over a year ago, and Liara… that was the hardest thing for her to swallow. Liara, HER Liara, working for the Shadow Broker? Shepard believed the Illusive Man had lied to her about that, to keep her away from Illium and focused on their first location and pair of recruits; Omega.

"Hey Laura… are you ok?" Joker asked in concern, snapping her back into the here and now.

"Huh? Oh… not really. Do you believe they really just… put me back together?" She asked.

"I don't know how else you'd be here. If they had cloned you, they still wouldn't be able to make it perfect. There's just too many things about you the rest of us are familiar with, except for the Cerberus crew of course." Joker replied confidently, giving her a warm smile.

"Suppose… I can't stop thinking about what happened…"

"I'm sorry. I should have evacuated as soon as the ship had been ripped in half… then you wouldn't have had to…" Joker responded sourly, hanging his head.

"Hey, not your fault. I'm glad I saved your stubborn ass. Just next time... remember to get out, ok?" She said in a lighter tone.

Once their conversation was finished, she went up to her quarters to clear her head and have a shower. When she had first seen them, she was amazed by how lavish they were. No other war ship had facilities like she did. However… it felt empty without Liara there to share it with her. She idly thought of what Liara would think of having a personal shower in the room but that thought led to the memories of their nights together. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply as she, vividly, remembered every touch, kiss, and word whispered and it made her heart ache. She glanced at the picture of her on her desk, courtesy of Ceberus of course before shaking her head.

"I need a shower." She growled to herself, heading into the bathroom.

When she stripped off her clothes, she caught a glance of the glowing surgical scars on her back and chest in the mirror, the biggest being the massive angry mark going from the base of her neck to just above her buttocks. It had numerous branches spreading out at random intervals, some spanning as far as her shoulder. She had already stitched up the minor scars on her face but this… not even the machine in the med-bay could repair. Dr. Chakwas had told her it would have to heal on its own but presented no, immediate, dangers to her health in its current state. She could still see the outlines of where cybernetics had been used to rebuild several parts of her spine under the oddly glowing skin. Shrugging it off, Laura took her shower, glad to have hot water readily available.

As soon as Laura had left the shower, she nearly bowled Kelly over. Her new… receptionist was constantly underfoot since Shepard had boarded the ship and it was getting on her nerves but she tried not to let her temper get the best of her. Kelly was clutching a couple of datapads against her chest, eyes wide and mouth hanging open as she stared at the Commander. It took a second for Shepard to realize that Kelly was staring at her because she was only dressed in her 'regulation' sports bra and matching briefs with a towel around her neck.

"Oh! I'm so sorry Commander!" Kelly yelped as she stumbled back, nearly dropping her datapads.

"Its fine, Yeoman. Did the dossiers on Archangel and Mordin Solus finally arrive?" She asked as she moved towards her bed to redress in her uniform.

"Yes they did! I have them here, along with some general information on Omega and recent events… A lots happened since you've been, well, gone." Kelly replied, following after her and setting the datapads on the coffee table.

"Ya, I get that impression. Who are these two that we're supposed to be picking up on this cess-pool of a rock?" Shepard asked, flopping down on the couch as Kelly took a seat a comfortable distance from her.

"Mordin Solus is an ex-STG agent and brilliant scientist. He is renowned genetists and rumored to have had involvement in the development of the krogan genophage. He will be crucial in helping us study and understand the Collectors. The Illusive Man is quite intrigued in learning how they are able to abduct entire colonies without conflict." She replied, pushing the datapad across the table.

"That doesn't surprise me. He's always trying to come out ahead. I've worked with STG before… saved Captain Kirrahe and his team's ass on Virmire. Involvement with the krogan genophage?" Shepard replied, picking up the datapad to look it over for herself.

"That's the rumor but we could never confirm anything from the Council or STG intel. The genophage was a very hush-hush matter."

"No surprise, though I know an old krogan who'd probably like a word or two with him about the matter. What about this Arch Angel?"

Kelly pushed the datapad towards her, studying the Commander's expression but there wasn't much to glean from the stoic look she had as she set one datapad down and picked up the other.

"Not much is known about Archangel. He appeared on Omega roughly six months ago. At first, he apparently led a squad of freelancers with the sole purpose of eradicating crime on Omega. They were quite effective as well, but most of the squad was killed in an attack on their base of operations and only their leader is left." Kelly reported to her.

"Hmmm… noble and stupid. So all three merc bands want this guy dead? That's quite an accomplishment. Good tactician. I'm guessing we don't have a lot of time to grab him before the mercs overwhelm him?" Shepard asked.

"Yes. His current location is well defended but the mercenary companies are planning a final assault to overwhelm his position with sheer numbers. We don't know how much longer Archangel will hold out so… he would be the priority when we arrive." Kelly replied.

"Fair enough. Who'd we get this information from anyway?"

"The self-proclaimed ruler of Omega, Aria T'Loak. She's an asari who practically runs the entire station. Very little slips past her notice. You'll be meeting with her when you arrive… it was one of the conditions when she assisted us in acquiring the information on Mordin and Archangel."

"What does she want with me?" Shepard asked, tossing the datapad back onto the table.

"I couldn't say. You'd have to ask her that yourself."

Shepard noticed Kelly staring at her and scowled a little, straightening her posture and leaning forward a little, arms restting on her legs and fixing the woman with a firm look. The Yeoman swallowed nervously and shifted in her seat.

"You didn't come up here to see me just to discuss the new assignments. What do you want, Yeoman?"

"You've already looked at my credentials, Commander. I am a well trained psychologists and one of my tasks for this posting is to ensure the team, as it grows, operates at peak performance."

"I don't like shrinks, Yeoman." Shepard growled in a hostile tone.

"It doesn't matter if you like me. The importance is the stability of you, the team, and the Normandy's crew. Anything you tell me will be confidential. I only report to you." Kelly responded, giving her a small smile.

"And Miranda… plus the ship has 'ears' all over the place. Stupid AI."

"I can easily disable the recording devices at your command, Commander." EDI chimed in, much to Shepard's annoyance.

"Please do. Now… I'm in no mood to have you do whatever you're trained to do. I'm sure you're good at it but I don't need it." Shepard told her, getting to her feet.

"I might surprise you. I won't say anything if all you want to do right now is scream, swear, curse the heavens or just talk. This is a lot to take in for anyone. You've been dead for nearly three years and the galaxy has moved on. Most of your friends have moved on." Kelly pressed.

"Thanks for the reminder." Shepard said sourly, running her fingers thorugh her hair in agitation. At least some behaviors were still persistent.

"Shepard, I'm trying to help. You keep this bottled up, it's just going to explode in everyone's faces, not just yours. The Collectors are a big danger to all of humanity. We need you." The woman explained to her, her tone patient and gentle.

Shepard ground her teeth together for a moment and walked over to the fish take, only a couple of the creatures flitting back and forth in the water. Kelly jumped when she banged her first against the thick glass. Then she started to vent, swearing and just say anything that came to mind until she felt exhausted. Her chest felt light but pained. Shepard felt like crying but no tears came to her eyes. She looked at Kelly and scowled, moving to her desk.

"So, am I crazy?" She asked, her voice weary.

"No. You are just now having time to let it sink in and grieve. You've lost much but your resilience keeps you going. Most would have caved under the pressure by now." Kelly said, looking rather pleased that she had gotten Shepard to open up a little.

"Small comforts, eh? Well, Cerberus went through the trouble of putting me back together so can't pussy out now, can I?" She sighed, walking back to the couch and flopping back down.

Kelly noticed her glance at the picture of the asari on her desk. Originally, she had protested the idea of placing any objects in the woman's quarters that would remind her of close relationships but the Illusive Man had gone through with it anyway. She could see the sorry and longing clouding the Commander's face, the woman not bothering to hide it. It only last a few seconds before Shepard's expression hardened and she got back up.

"I think we're done for today, Yeoman. I'm tired." Shepard said curtly.

"Of course Commander. I'll let you know if anything changes regarding Archangel or Mordin Solus. I hope you sleep well." Kelly said, getting the hint and getting up and leaving.

Once she was gone, Shepard flopped down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. So many emotions were running through her at once, it made her head hurt. But she hadn't lied about being tired… exhausted was more like it though. It had been a rough few days since she woke up and all she wanted to do right now was sleep. But closing her eyes brought about its own troubles. As soon as she started to slip into that realm, thing surged back. Memories of Akuze, of the attack, suffocating on air.

"Commander, are you alright?" EDI asked as Shepard jumped awake.

It took a moment for Shepard to remind herself that she was on the Normandy… that this was her room. For a brief moment, she expected Liara to be there with her but as soon as she glanced to her side and saw the bed empty, her heart dropped and reality sank back on her shoulders.

"What?" She asked wearily, looking at the time on the omni-tool. She had been asleep for few hours.

"We will be docking at Omega Station within the next hour. Shall I call the team to the conference room?"

"Ya, sure. I'll be there in a minute."

Shepard got up and fetched her suit. It was familiar and alien to her all at the same time. Over two years… two years of time just gone. How could so much change in such a small time frame and yet be the same at the same time? Here she was, cleaning up someone else's mess all over again. Buisness as fucking usual.

* * *

_To: Sha'ira_

_From: Tevara Ashan_

_I received a message from Laura. THAT Laura. I know we've both heard the rumors but why now? What if it is really her? Used her old contact address and I know she kept that private for personal affairs but…_

_She wants to meet but I'm not sure what to do. Something feels wrong about this. Advice?_

**_RE_**_: Confirming the rumors have been difficult since there hasn't been an official statements from the Council or the Alliance. She is still listed as MIA in the official records. -Sha'ira_

**_RE: RE:_**_ That doesn't help. – Tevara Ashan_

**_RE: RE: RE:_**_ The risk could be worth it but I will do what I can to confirm the authenticity for you, my friend. Congratulations are in order for Rebheka. Her instructors are quite impressed with her progress and she may be considered for a SPECTRE candidacy. I hope little Serah is well too. – Sha'ira_


	20. Queen of Omega

_I apologize for another long spanse between uploads. Had a bit of a creative dry-spell but back with a couple more chapters and working on a couple more._

_EDIT 1: Additions to recruiting Archangel (aka Garrus Vakarian) and Mordin as well as extra conversation with Aria. More renegadish stuff from Shepard too._

* * *

The entrance to Afterlife reminded her of so many past mistakes and poor decisions in her life, Shepard also found it ironic and comedic. Of course there'd be an extravagantly seedy night club on a station ruled by pirates and mercenaries. With Miranda and Jacob in tow, they approached the large line being held up by an elcor bouncer, who was currently engaged in arguing with someone. The man complaining was loud and obnoxious and the batarians guarding the door seemed thoroughly annoyed. She was amazed that hadn't gunned him down yet. One of them spotted her and turned his head, talking on a communicator on his ear if she had to hazard a guess. Once he seemed finished with his conversation, he waved her and her team over. The complaining man at the front of the line noticed her approaching and got even louder.

"How the fuck is that fair? Aria's expecting me!" He shouted in an annoyingly high-pitched voice.

"Why don't you shut the fuck up and mind your own business?" Shepard sneered at him as she passed by.

"Do you know who I am you bitch?!" He nearly screamed, grabbing her shoulder and reaching for a gun tucked in a holster on his hip with the other.

Shepard immediately spun and knocked the gun out of his hand and kicked him in the knee. He screamed as he collapsed on the ground, the sound quickly silenced when she pressed the heel of her heavy boot into his throat, leaning enough of her weight on it to making him choke for air.

"Shepard!" Miranda and Jacob both called out in surprise.

"Listen here you little shit. You EVER put your hands on me again, I'm gonna rip your limp dick off and shove it down your throat." She growled at him, leaning just a little more weight down on him, watching his eyes bulge.

"S-S-Sorry!" He croaked, clawing at her armored shin.

Satisfied, Shepard let him go and headed to the door, completely ignoring Miranda and Jacob. The pair of Cerberus agents shot each other worried looks but followed silently behind. Of course, they were blocked by a group of batarians but Shepard wasn't really in the mood to deal with racists either. She pulled her gun on the 'leader' and practically pistol-whipped him and that sent the rest running. Their first twenty minutes on Omega were off to a fantastic start.

The club was busy and dark and the sound of music was grating. Shepard wasn't one for these kinds of atmospheres but that didn't really matter. She looked around to see where Aria might be located and noted the VIP section across the way. She also saw a couple of Blue Sun mercenaries standing to the far left, funneling people through. That must be where they were recruiting freelancing idiots for the attack on Archangel… which meant he was probably still alive. Probably. Still, they were here to 'pay their respects' to the Queen before she went and blew a few things up. Shepard was hoping she'd get to blow something up… that'd be fun.

You. Human… Aria wants to see you. Now." A turian growled at them as he approached them.

"I'm here to see her anyway." Shepard replied back snidely.

They followed the turian up to the platform, only to be stopped by another batarian with a scanner in his hand, refusing to let them approach. She could see the asari standing there with her back to them. She was wear a short-cut white leather jacket and some kind of revealing black onesie of a shiny material. She was gawking at her long enough to not notice the batarian reaching for her side arm until she felt the slight shift of weight on her waist as he tried to disarm her. Acting on instinct and reflex, Shepard grabbed him and twisted his arm, an audible snap making the rest of the guards jump and draw their weapons. She kicked his leg out from under him and, practically, threw the batarian up over her back, drawing her pistol at the same time. The batarian was swearing as he lay on the ground, cradling his arm. Miranda and Jacob had both drawn their weapons shortly after, startled by the turn of events.

"Put your weapons down… it's his own damn fault for not asking permission." Aria ordered to her men.

At first, no one moved but after a few tense seconds and an angry glare for the asari, her men relaxed and holstered their weapons. A minute later and Shepard did the same, Miranda and Jacob following her her lead. However, they were made to stay behind as Shepard joined Aria on the couch. They sat acros for each other, the leather creaking and sinking under the weight of Shepard's armor. Aria noted the red and white stripes emblazed on her left arm, the N7 designation proudly painted on the left shoulder pad.

"Pretty brave to wear Alliance markings around here." She commented.

"I'm not Alliance… not anymore. I busted my ass for this mark though and I'll wear it whereve the fuck I please." She retorted back, scowling.

Aria smirked and ordered them a bottle to share. This human intrigued her after she had heard of her exploits involving Saren and the attack on the Citadel. The Commander was a living legend… a resurrected living legend to be more precise and she was going to take advantage of that any way she could.

"You look good for a dead woman." Aria commented snidely.

"Death does wonders for one's complexion… but then you hear all kinds of things these days, like a single vigilante stirring up trouble for the three major merc bands or a plague threatening your kingdom." Shepard shot back at her.

"At least you're informed but not well enough. That's why we are here, exchanging pleasantries."

Shepard cocked a brow in curiosity as she took a moment to study the asari. She wasn't a maiden but didn't seem quite old enough to a matriarch but fuck… she still couldn't tell them all apart. Aria still had her facial tattoos and the way she was dressed, well Shepard wasn't going to deny the asari looked hot as fuck. Aria noticed the woman's gaze and chuckled, lounging back and deliberately crossing her legs in a languid, suggestive motion. Shepard swallowed and tried to think of something else.

"What can you tell me about Mordin and Archangel?" Shepard asked just as drinks arrived

Aria waited until the serving girl finished pouring the drinks, picking up her glass and savoring the scent and color of the liquor before taking a sip. She watched Shepard, wanting to see how this woman behave… how much of the stories were true and the rest jut fanciful imagination. Those green eyes didn't flinch as the human picked up her own glass and took a sip of her own.

"Not much aside from what I've already given. Archangel doesn't have much time but I could care less. He's kept those three mercenary packs busy for me so I can steal their territories out from under them." Aria replied casually.

"And the plague?"

"Not my problem. It'll sort itself out."

At first, Shepard was surprised at just how little Aria seemed to care about her domain but then the human realized she was expecting a shred of humanity in a place that was centered on lawlessness, debauchery and chaos. She took another sip of her drink, savoring the flavor of… bourbon? She wasn't sure what kind of liquor this was but it was good. That's all that really mattered right now. Her first taste of alcohol since waking up… she needed to pick up a few bottles if Aria was able to get top shelf stuff on this ball of rock in the middle of nowhere. Shepard finished her drink, setting the glass back on the table before getting to her feet.

"Thanks for the drink. I'll get out of your… way?" Shepard started, but Aria quickly got up and intercepted her at the stairs.

"Was I not supposed to get up first or something?" Shepard remarked snidely.

"Feh… just don't go causing trouble or the plague and the mercenaries will be the least of your problems, Commander." She replied, leaning close so her breath was right against the human's ear.

Aria smirked as she pulled back, eyes level with Shepard's. The Commander looked at her in turn, face a caught between confusion and about a dozen other emotions.

"Before you go, however… why are you really here for these two? This isn't the first time Cerberus has been snooping around my domain. In fact, I believe they were nosing around a few years ago… a drell and an asari doing their dirty work." She asked in a taunting manner.

"And I should care why?" Shepard retorted a bit uneasily.

"Curiosity. They were looking for you. I heard the Shadow Broker wanted your corpse but Cerberus got to it instead. Haven't you wondered how your corpse ended up in their possession?" Aria pressed, her smirk growing wider.

Shepard didn't say anything but what the asari was presenting to her… it infuriated her. How DID Cerberus get ahold of her? Miranda's logs had not given any hint to how her body had been recovered from Alchera and she had never thought to ask the question until now. Who was the asari and drell Aria mentioned? She glared at the asari for a moment, lips drawn in a tight line. After a moment or two, she simply stormed off, Miranda and Jacob following silently behind her. They'd go after Archangel first… before he turned up dead.

* * *

_To: Liara T'Soni_

_From: [Redacted]_

_You know who this is. Just saw your human on Omega, here to clean up a few messes for her new Cerberus masters. Nice piece of ass. Seems they fixed her up real nice. No more burn scars though she's got some cuts on her face with this weird glow._

_I just might have some fun with her… though she seemed mighty pissed when I mentioned how Cerberus might have gotten her corpse. Don't worry, I didn't drop your name as tempting as it was. I'm sure she'll find that out soon enough._


	21. Archangel

_Little bit of an angsty chapter. I jumped over Mordin cause, well... there's really not much to his mission. I focused a little more on Archangel for obvious reasons._

_Hope you are continuing to enjoy the story and thanks for the favs &amp; reviews._

_EDIT 1: Some continuity edits and adjustments. Almost finished… whew. Archangel's recruitment is first instead of Mordin's._

* * *

_To: Kelly Chambers_

_From: Miranda Lawson_

_Commander Laura O. Shepard has been surprisingly hostile and agitated since we arrived. The encounter Aria T'Loak went as expected and the woman had nothing more to offer us in terms of assistance. Due to the urgency of Archangel's situation, we will be attempting to assist him first._

_I worry Shepard's aggression will continue to escalate if we do not curb the underlying causes quickly… though I feel some of this behavior stems from circumstances we may not be able to influence._

* * *

The batarian collapsed as she stuck him with the welder. Luckily, no one had seen what she done, even as she jammed it into the attack ship's exposed engine, just to slow it down. The 'alliance' between the mercenaries was delicate at best… they were only helping each other because Archangel irritated them more than they hated each other. Just as they were walking away, the call came up that the next run across the bridge was about to happen. The Blue Suns were still prepping their mechs and getting ready for when Arch Angel picked off the freelancers. Shepard had caught a glimpse of him as they had been crossing through the area but now that she was on the bridge, she got a better look at him from his vantage point. Definitely turian from the shape of his helmet.

"Have you figure out how we're going to get out of here Shepard?" Miranda whispered testily.

"Not yet… but I figured any escape route is going to involve a lot of dead mercenaries. I'm sure Aria won't mind their ranks slimmed. I sure as hell won't." Shepard shrugged.

They joined the other freelancers across the bridge, mostly sorry sods hoping to make a few credits. She couldn't see Archangel but if he was half the marksman she assumed he was, they were well within his sight. They kept behind the high cover as the more dim-witted recruits walked across exposed, Archangel picking them off one by one. They needed to make a run for it but they had no way of letting Archangel know they were friendlies. They'd have to risk it.

"FUCKING HELL!" Shepard shouted when a shot hit her kinetic barriers and shattered them, the alarm going off in here ears. She could feel blood beading from the cut the bullet had left across her right cheekbone.

They immediately ran for the building but oddly enough, Archangel did not attempt to stop them. There had been a few freelancers that had followed behind them and they immediately turned and gunned them down. Now the mercenaries would know they had been betrayed. Shepard figured this was going to get exciting fast as they climbed up the stairs.

"Archangel?" Shepard called when they caught sight of him by one of the windows.

He raised his hand to signal her for silence before picking off the last freelancer cowering half-way across the bridge. After he was done, he stood up and sat on the edge of the table. Definitely a turian… and that made Shepard realize she missed Garrus. Maybe this one would be somewhat like him… maybe.

"You sure did take your sweet time getting here." The turian said, his voice oddly familiar for some reason.

"Well, I had to make it convincing and I wasn't sure if you were going to attempt killing us or not." She replied, pointing at the mark on her cheek.

"I had to get you moving, Shepard… and make it looking convincing to the mercs out there. It's been so long… I almost thought I had finally lost my mind." He replied, setting aside his gun and reching up to take off his helmet.

"How do you know… " Shepard started, her voice faltering as the helm came off and revealed a very familiar pair of hawk like blue eyes and blue markings over a young turian face.

"G-Garrus? No fucking way!" Shepard said in elation, a broad grin spreading across her face as she moved towards him.

"You look good for a dead woman, Commander." Garrus greeted with equal affection, clasping her forearm with his gloved claws as she clasped his.

Garrus gave her a vague summary of what had happened to him and how he got here but that's as far as the catching up was concerned, it would have to wait until the mercenaries were dealt with. First, the assault of the mechs had completely failed after Shepard ad Miranda had reprogrammed the YMIR to turn on them as soon as they started across the bridge. It was a good distraction but Blood Pack had tunneled their way through the lower defenses and tried to pin them but Garrus had caught on to that plan early on and with Shepard there, they were easily dispatched. With two of the three bands crippled, there was just the Blue Suns. At first, Shepard had thougth she had disabled the gunship but she had only halted its repairs. The batarian got it to fly… barely but it was enough. Shit when sideways fast when his first shot hit the building, shaking it and catching Garrus in the explosion.

"NO!" Shepard screamed when she saw Garrus lying there, a pool of his own blood gathering underneath him.

Tears stinging her eyes, she grabbed Garrus's rifle and put the sights on the scope between the batarian's eyes before taking him out, sending the gunship careening into the depths of Omega. She ran to her friends side, finding him barely alive, gurgling and gasping for air.

"JOKER! Get me an evac and Dr. Chakwas now!" She screamed over the comm link.

* * *

Shepard sat at the bar, staring off into nothing, lips curled in a scowl. Her drink sat there, temporarily forgotten as she reflected on what had happened. They had gotten Garrus to the Normandy but Dr. Chakwas wasn't very knowledgable about turians. They needed to grab Mordin. Fueled by the urgency of the turian's condition, Shepard had been in no mood to fuck around with the vorcha, who had poisoned the air filters but Mordin had a solution waiting and they just had to deliver it and clean out the vorcha infesttion. With that done, Mordin was more than eager to assist them with the Collector's and saving Garrus.

"You gonna drink that?" The batarian bartender sneered when he noticed she hadn't touched her Double Quad Kicker.

"Fuck off, four-eyes." She growled at him with a fierce glare, picking up the glace.

The batarian gave her an offended look but as soon as she put the glass to her lips and tipped her head back to drink it in one gulp, his scowl turned into a dirty smirk. She gave him an irritated look but suddenly gasped and clutched her stomach as it felt like a knife was twisting in it. Her vision swam, colors waving in and out.

"What did you… " She gasped as she stumbled off the barstool, only to collapse on the floor.

She woke up hours later in a dirty back alley somewhere on the Citadel. A pair of vorcha were crouched near her, whispering about stealing her stuff. She rolled onto her side, swearing and groaning as her stomach still twisted in agony. They scampered off, leaving her alone. It took a few more minutes before Shepard realized someone was trying to hail her on her omni-tool.

"What?" She croaked, squinting her eyes at the display even though it was just an audio feed.

"Finally! Where the hell are you Shepard?" Miranda replied

"Hell if I know. Pretty sure a batarian tried to… ugh, poison me. One sec…" She managed to groan before sitting up and promptly throwing up.

"Jacob and I will…"

"I'm fine! Fucker screwed up, he's mine." Shepard snarled back in response before hanging up on the woman.

Once her legs stopped shaking, Shepard stormed right back to the bar. The batarian was still there and he had to do a double-take when he saw the pissed red-head coming straight for him.

"You fucker! You poisoned my drink!" She shouted at him, making sure her voice carried over the gaudy club music.

"I don't know who you are." The batarian replied, feigning ignorance even though a few patrons were now staring at him.

"You like poisoning humans? Cause ya picked the wrong fucking one to screw with tonight, you four-eyed arse." Shepard shouted, scars starting to glow brighter with her anger.

The batarian's face turned into a deep scowl as several patrons hesitated, eyeing their drinks and him suspiciously. The turian at the bar also stopped, suddenly quite interested in the conversation. Everyone was watching and it made him nervous. The batarian continued to argue with her until he pulled a gun, much to her surprise. However, the turian shot him first, startling everyone. Most people left but Shepard hung around, a smug smile on her face when she peered over the bar to look at the batarian's corpse.

"I knew that guy was trouble but poisoning humans… idiot." The turian grumbled in disapproval.

"I'm certainly not going to miss him." Shepard sneered.

She attempted to leave Afterlife but a familiar batarian stopped her, arm in a sling. He glared at her nervously, muttering that Aria wanted to see Shepard. The human sighed, figuring it had to do with the altercation that just occurred. She followed him up to Aria's private section overlooking the club and stood there, the asari with her back to her.

"So… what are you gonna do, bend me over your knee and spank me?" Shepard asked sarcastically.

"As tempting as that'd be, no. That batarian was asking to get his ass handed to him. I actually wanted to thank you. Crippling the mercenary companies and clearing out that plague has done wonders for me. I like to give credit where credit is due… discreetly." Aria said, waving off her guards so they were completely alone.

"You sure you want me here alone with you?" Shepard remarked in surprise.

"If you try to kill me, I can promise you that's going to go very badly for you… unless you meant something else entirely. I hear you like your women blue." Aria smirked as she got comfortable.

The bottle they shared earlier was still there and Shepard decided to pour herself a drink before sitting back. She was still dressed in her armor, flecks of blood and dirt stuck to it and hair a mess… not that she cared about her appearance.

"I highly doubt you'd spread it for anyone and I'm certainly not looking right now." Shepard retorted.

They didn't talk much, just finished the bottle and then Aria sent Shepard on her way. Exhausted by the day's events, Shepard headed back to the Normandy, only to be greeted by a worried Yeoman. After she convinced the woman to leave her alone, she went up to her quarters to get out of her sweaty armor and take a shower. Just as she was about to peel out of the suit, however, her door opened without warning and Garrus stepped inside.

"Oh, sorry Commander. Bad time?" He asked, the left side of his bandaged up.

"Nah, not for you Garrus… well, maybe if I was naked but anyway… how's your face?" She replied, relief washing over her at seeing him up and around.

"Dr. Chakwas and the salarian managed to piece most of it back together but I fear my days as the dashing ex-C-SEC officer are over." He jested, oddly mirthful about the situation.

"Nice to see you haven't lost your stupid sense of humor, Vakarian." She chuckled, unable to help herself.

"And seems you've gained your good looks back… aside from the glowing bits." The turian teased, following her to the lounge and leaning against the pillar at the top of the stairs.

Shepard caught him up to speed with what happened but it still felt weird to talk about. Part of her still couldn't believe it happened… that any of this was happening. In turn, Garrus went over what happened with him and the others. Everyone just drifted apart once things were said and done. The Council went back to normal and no one spoke of the Reapers… except for Cerberus.

"I'm glad I found you Garrus. You have no idea how good it is to have a friend here with me." Shepard told him.

"I'm glad to be back Laura. This is where I belong, doing the impossible right along with you. I'll let you get some rest, I'm pretty tired myself."

Once he was gone, Shepard looked at her terminal and saw she had several messages waiting for her. She decided to shower and then check them afterwards.

* * *

_From: Tevara Ashan_

_To: Laura Shepard_

_I hope this is you, else I'll find whoever this is and rip you apart on the molecular level. Sha'ira's office._

_Serah and Rebheka don't know yet._

* * *

_From: David Anderson_

_To: Laura Shepard_

_Rumor is you're alive. If it's really you, we need to talk. Soon. I'll meet you on the Citadel when you can._

* * *

Shepard finished reading through her messages and sighed. She wanted to see these people again… her friends, people grounded in this reality but at the same time she was afraid. Time had moved forward for them but not her. She was still having trouble remembering that nearly three years had gone by and not just in the blink of an eye as it was for her. No one could understand that confusion. Shepard was a bit surprised she didn't see a message from her mother but then few would believe she was alive until there was an 'official' statement from the Council or Alliance. Maybe she should message her mom.

And then her mind wandered to Liara. Shepard feared the asari had suffered the most. If what the Illusive Man had said was true, rumors would have reached the asari, wherever she was. Shepard still couldn't believe that Liara would get tangled up with the Shadow Broker but if what Aria hinted at meant what she thought it meant… Liara had been involved. Trying to make it all make sense was giving her a massive headache.

"Fuck!" Sheprad shouted at no one in particular.

"Is everyting alright?" EDI asked in concern, always monitoring activities on the ship.

"I'm fine… and would you quit spying on me, EDI?" She snapped in response.

"Of course Commander."

Laura walked over to the desk and picked up the picture of Liara. It was an old image, though she had no idea who might have taken it. Liara was dressed in her old lab uniform, the green and white pattern an interesting compliment to the color of the asari's skin. Her eyes, however… Laura couldn't help but stare at her eyes and think of all the warmth and love that had been in them. She wanted that back. She wanted it all back.

* * *

_To: Hannah Shepard_

_From: Laura Shepard_

_It's me… really me. So much has happened that I have no idea where to start. I think we should talk if you're up to it._

_I'm sorry._


	22. Shattered Horizon

_I know some of these new chapters are kinda short but again, I'm skimming over a LOT of story elements from the main game, mostly cause I have no intention of modifying them so they get summarized or referenced to. Once Liara's re-introduced, I'll slow down a bit and also focus some more on her interactions with some of the crew's new members... since a few of them will have their own impacts as the story goes._

_Thanks for the reviews and favorites and hope you continue to enjoy._

_EDIT 1: Minor tweaks here and there._

* * *

"Seems like Mordin's bug repellent is working but… we arrived too late." Shepard noted as they scoured the colony, only to find they had managed to interrupt the Collectors when they were nearly finished. The bugs were still flying about but they didn't take any notice of Shepard, Garrus or Miranda… though it didn't make them invisible to the husks. No matter how many times Shepard saw them, the Dragon's Teeth and the Husks they created would always unnerve her.

However, it seemed like the colony wasn't empty. One man had managed to escape getting stung and sealed himself in the generator room. However, he wasn't too happy about the Alliance's lack of help with the disappearing colonies and didn't put much stock in Shepard's intentions either… but as long as they could get those AA guns back online, she could care less. There wasn't anything they could do here. All that was left were Husks left to buy the Collector's time to escape… which they did, even with the AA guns repaired and fully operational at the last few moments.

"God dammit… too late again. The hell is that ship made out of?" Shepard growled in frustration, helplessly watching the Collector ship vanish into the sky.

There was no chance of them catching them in the Normandy… the Collector's weapons would rip them apart and… well, they'd be right back at square one. The lone survivor was dismayed by their failure… except he wasn't the only survivor it seemed.

"So they're not just rumors… you're really alive, skipper." Ashley said, her voice portraying several emotions at once as she approached.

"Williams? Jesus, is that really you?" Shepard said in disbelief, a note of joy in her voice to find another of her crew.

However, the pleasantries stopped there. Ashley was not very warm to their reunion after they discussed the Collector attack. She had been sent because the Alliance believed Cerberus was behind the colony attacks and the news about Shepard…

"So you think I'm working for them… that's why you're really here." Shepard asked in annoyance.

"Ya… but I see we were wrong but still… the fact that you showed up here. I'm surprised Garrus is helping out a pro-human organization." Ashley spat sourly.

"Ashley, just listen to Laura. This is a lot more complicated than it looks." Garrus said, trying to stick up for her but Ashley wasn't listening.

"I thought I knew where your loyalties lie Shepard but I guess we were all wrong."

"Don't stand there and act like you know the fuck about what I've been through, Ashley! My allegiances haven't changed and I'm sure as hell not helping Cerberus… and if you're unwilling to listen that this attack is bigger than it looks… guess that's one thing that'll never change about you. Always the blind soldier." Shepard growled at her, feeling as if she had been stabbed in the chest.

"Fuck you Shepard."

"Fuck yourself, Ashley. That ship is what destroyed the Normandy. They're the threat and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure they burn for what they've done. You and the Alliance can sit there with your heads up your asses."

"Hey, Shepard… calm down. It's not worth it." Garrus said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Shepard bit her bottom lip and just let it go, calling down the Normandy to pick them up. She glared at Ashley one more time before turning her back on her former companion and friend and just never looked back.

* * *

"You feel betrayed by Ashely's rejection." Kelly observed.

After they had returned from Horizon, Kelly had, gently, insisted on another session. Shepard agreed only because she knew the Yeoman would pester her about it until she changed her mind. Might as well get it out of the way now. Shepard was pacing, still wound up about the encounter with both Ashely and the Collectors.

"Damn right I feel betrayed! That bitch had the nerve to tell me I'm a TRAITOR! ME! Like I wanted this shit to happen to me." Shepard snarled, fingers running through her messy mane.

"Her reaction was… understandable. She has no reason to trust Cerberus…"

"I don't trust Cerberus. I don't see how ANYONE could. Those fuckers killed Admiral Kohaku because they…" She chocked on the words, remembering what had happened.

Kohaku's investigation into the disappearance of his team, or more accurately, the slaughter of his men by a Thresher Maw, had revealed that Cerberus had been testing ways to utilizing the massive beasts as weapons. The first test had been Akuze… the event that had nearly killed Shepard and destroyed her career once and nearly a second time.

"They killed my men, traumatized me and ruined my career. They're terrorists and the Illusive Man is a stuck up prick." Shepard said with poison in her voice.

"Admittedly, Cerberus has done some… inhumane things but…" Kelly stared but the acidic look Shepard shot her made her shut up immediately.

Defending the organization to the woman was pointless. She would forever be hostile towards them but Kelly couldn't blame her. She was… mildly aware of the darker side of the organization since she joined the ship. Jack, aka Subject Zero, had been the other example of Cerberus's cruelty though records indicated the facility on Pragia responsible for the crazy biotic's creation had gone rogue but… records could easily be changed at the Illusive Man's request.

"Alright, then let's talk about something else. You seemed to be a little more relaxed since Garrus joined." Kelly noted, switching subjects to try and disffuse the Commander's stressed agitation.

"Garrus is loyal… a good friend. He saved my ass numerous times back when we were chasing Saren and I was there for him when he had a hard choice to make. I should have been there so he wouldn't have hit his lowest. He's not the same turian from then. He's grown, matured… and his heart and hopes broken." Shepard sighed, heading to a cabinet under her desk and pulling out a bottle of whiskey and a glass, though Kelly refused when Shepard offered a second.

"I wasn't aware you went back to drinking." Kelly noted.

"No regulations and a fresh start, right? I can do whatever the fuck I want." Shepard replied, sipping her drink.

"Fair enough. You are the Commander after all. Something else seems to be troubling you aside from what happened on Horizon."

Laura hesitated for a moment, then sighed and set her glass down, refilling it. Her hands were starting to shake. She had kept the flash-backs… the memories to herself. It wasn't just the nightmares that were vivid… those she felt no dread from anymore for some reason but her memories of Liara, of all their nights together… it was a sweet, painful torture.

"I don't know if I should try to contact Liara." She said sadly, eyes down-cast.

"You're afraid she'll reject you." Kelly concluded.

"Of course I am! Wouldn't you be, Kelly? For me… it's barely been a month but it's been about three years for everyone! I love Liara more than anything in existence and I would die a thousand times more for her but… knowing she had to suffer and mourn me… only to learn that I've cheated death. She's probably moved on." Shepard explained.

"You miss her. That's understandable Laura. You'll have to forgive me for getting personal here but have you been sexually active since…?" Kelly asked with masked curiosity.

"You mean have I nailed anyone between all the gun fights and being Illusive Man's errand bitch? No, not really." Shepard replied with surprising honesty, sipping her drink again.

"Not even masturbation?"

"That was blunt… but no. I just don't have the urge to but I feel… pent up I suppose. I should get a hobby."

"Hobbies can be good stress relievers. I believe I saw a model ship box sitting on your desk a few days ago." Kelly agreed, glacing at the desk.

"Oh ya, Garrus thinks he's funny. It was a turian model… I suppose I should build it, see what it does for me. Better than sitting here, taking _Sapphyrus_ apart a dozen times." Shepard sighed, finishing her drink and pouring another.

Kelly knew that was the name of the Commander's new rifle, since her original was lost when the Normandy was destroyed. She had only seen the gun once during one of their sessions, since Shepard had been changing parts out. She knew why she had given it that name but never dared to pry. Re-opening old wounds often helped heal them but doing it too often could have dangerous repurcussions. Kelly was satisfied with what she could glean from Shepard today and stood up, signaling the end of the session. Shepard seemed pleased it was over and escorted the Yeoman to the door.

"I am impressed by your progress Shepard. You were very apprehensive at the start." Kelly smiled at her.

"If I don't let you do your job, Miranda's gonna hound me about it relentlessly. Besides… I suppose it's helping a little. I feel less inclined to murder someone out of frustration. Thank you Kelly." Shepard replied.

"You intrigue me, Commander. You are admirable, fascinating woman and I wish to help you as much as I can in your endeavor." Kelly said, placing a gentle but suggestive hand on her arm.

Shepard shied away from the touch, surprised by her own reaction but then… she had only been comfortable with Liara touching her. She gave Kelly a suspicious look.

"You didn't ask that question just for the sake of your evaluation, did you Kelly?" Shepard asked.

"Perhaps. Many find more casual arrangements for particular needs to be a good distraction when needed. I hope you rest well Commander." Kelly said, leaving the Commander with a suggestive smile.

Sheprd watched her board the elevator and just stared at the door after it closed, trying to make sense of what Kelly had just said. At first, she didn't think it was what her mind was thinking of but the more it stewed, the more she figured that was exactly Kelly's intention.

"Casual sex, eh? With my secretary? I need a drink."

* * *

_To: Laura Shepard_

_From: Ashely Williams_

_I'm sorry for what I said back on Horizon. I was just… so alarmed you were actually alive that I couldn't quite cope with it at first. I was a bit of a jackass to you and Garrus. You're right… I should have more belief in you. No way would you be on Cerberus's side unless something serious was going down. I can't believe they brought you back… and I don't think I want to know how._

_I'll do what I can to stress the importance that the kidnappings are being carried out by Collectors, not Cerberus but I doubt many people will believe me. Alliance brass hasn't changed much but Captain Anderson and Admiral Hackett have been taking the Reaper threat seriously. Hopefully, next time we meet, we can have a much better conversation… maybe over a beer or three?_

_P.S. By the way, what happened to Garrus's face?_


	23. Broken Wing

_So... here we are. The reunion chapter. Enjoy._

_Also, in regards to Shepard's accent mentioned in this chapter; her family has a strong streak of Irish in them._

_EDIT 1: MORE EDIT! I swear I'm almost finished. The conversation between Liara and Laura goes a bit differently now._

* * *

_To: Liara T'Soni_

_From: Miranda Lawson_

_The Normandy SR-2 will be arriving at Nos Astra in forty-eight hours. Please have the required information on the two individuals I requested ready for pick-up._

_Laura is still having trouble coping with… circumstances. Do not be surprised by any amourous greeting or reaction she has in your company._

* * *

Liara had the datapads sitting out on her desk but waiting for the arrival of the Normandy was jarring. It should be here by now. She was also waiting on a call and as time for the meeting drew closer, she simply told her assistant a few instructions before dealing with her caller. However, Liara hadn't expected Shepard to enter at the tail end of the meeting, where she threatened to kill the client who was arguing with her.

"Shepard…" Was all that left her throat as their eyes met across the room.

She was the same… aside from the absence of the burn scars but she had new ones, some with a faint, angry glow to them, as if they weren't healing properly. Tali and Garrus, who still hand bandages on his face, were also there and she felt an overwhelming joy to see them… especially Shepard. Without even thinking, she was crossing the room and throwing her arms around the human's neck to pull her down to kiss her. Garrus and Tali exchanged knowing looks and politely left the room to wait for them. Shepard wasn't sure how to respond but she didn't care why Liara was kissing her, only that she was grateful for the feel of the asari's lips on her own… her body pressed flush against her armor, fingers tangled in her hair. She wrapped her arms firmly around Liara, making her gasp and giving her the opportunity to sweep her tongue into her mouth. The sexually charged response startled Liara and she pushed herself away from Laura, breaking the atmosphere between them.

"Sorry… it's um… good to see you Liara." Shepard said sheepishly, face turning pink with embarrassment when she realized she got carried away.

"It's alright. It is… good to see you too, Laura. You look good, given the circumstances." Liara replied, moving away from her to retrieve the datapads on the assassin and justicar that she had put together.

They talked about the two recruits in depth a bit but soon the conversation turned to what they were both avoiding; each other. It was obvious to Liara the human still felt quite powerfully about her. Miranda's warning was well warranted and even now, she can see the loving, hopeful look in those emerald eyes. Shepard wanted her back but… things were different now.

"Is… there any chance I could convince you to rejoin the Normandy?" Shepard asked hopefully.

"I'm sorry but I can't. I have my obligations here." Liara replied curtly as she divereted her attention to her terminal for a moment.

"I understand. And… I have to know. Do you really work for the Shadow Broker?" Shepard asked.

"Who told you that? Nevermind, I have a good idea of whom may have given you that idea. I don't work for the Shadow Broker, Shepard… I am hunting him. He his long over-due for some retribution and he captured a… dear friend of mind." Liara replied, looking back up at her.

Shepard's jaw clenched at the way Liara said 'dear friend', mind already jumping to the 'new lover' conclusion. She figured Liara wouldn't have waited… asari live long lives and even if the Collectors hadn't killed her, old age or disease would have done it at some point, early into Liara's matron stage. Shepard shook the thought for her mind and tried to hdie the pain but the mask had too many cracks and the scars were reacting to her increasing levels of stress. Still, the kiss they had shared was confusing… or maybe it had just been an impulsive mistake. Her head was starting to hurt and she could feel tears attempting to well in her eyes.

"I see. Thanks for the intel Liara. I… guess I should get going, let you get back to work. Galaxy to save and all that." Shepard muttered, turning her eyes and back to Liara and heading for the door though stopping at the threshold.

"For what it's worth, Liara… I love you and I'm sorry… for everything."

* * *

After they had finished assisting Samara with the Eclipse mercenaries and the drell assassin Thane already recruited, Sheprd needed time alone. She had gone back to Liara to thank her again and helped her figure out that the Shadow Broker had an agent on her giving her the run around. It turned out her secretary had been feeding the asari false information for some time now. Shepard hadn't questioned what had happened to the woman. Liara had changed… she wasn't the shy archaeologist she had met on Therum. She had matured and hardened and Shepard knew part of that was her fault.

Tired of the Cerberus uniform she wore on the ship, Shepard decided to indulge herself and went shopping for a civilian outfit she could wear without giving a false impression of who's side she was on. Well… she wasn't on anyone's side but her own right now. Everyone could go screw themselves. She had been quite taken with what Aria wore on Omega and went with a smiliar style, though the onesie she wore under the black leather jacket and form-fitting pants only left her cleavage and hips exposed and was colored a deep navy blue. Though she couldn't wear the marking, Shepard couldn't help displaying some reference to her Alliance roots. The jacket was comfortable and she had stuck with boots with, the right with a hidden holster for her combat knife… just in case.

Shepard had decided to go to Eternity to blow off steam, sitting at the bar with a whiskey and cola in front of her, sitting in the corner with her back against the wall so she could observe the crowd. It was mostly asari but given Illium's trade climate, there were plenty of turians, salarians, and volus hanging around.

"Fishing?" The asari bartender asked.

"No… maybe… I don't fucking know right now. I just want to drink and forget." Shepard replied.

"I know that look on you humans. Boyfriend stick his dick in some floozy?" She chuckled, setting the glass she was cleaning aside.

"Girlfriend and its complicated. No cheating… didn't even officially break up. Just shit went sideways. You wouldn't believe me." The red-head replied, finishing her drinking.

"You'd be surprised but then I've been around for quite awhile. My father fought in the Rachni Wars and both him and my mother were in the Krogan Rebellions. They killed each other when they found out." The asari shrugged, mixing Shepard a refill for her glass.

"Huh…. Well, I died and some shady pro-human organization managed to put me back together." Shepard explained.

The asari gave her a flat look and Shepard couldn't help but laugh as she picked up her fresh drinking, noticing there was a bit more wishkey than cola in it now.

"I warned you." She said.

"Fair enough. Still, sucks but hey, heartbreaks aren't forever and there's plenty of ass here. Nothing like a wild one-night stand to set shit straight." The woman countered, glancing at the crowd herself.

"Tch… I doubt it."

"Really hung up on this girl, aren't ya? You humans get attached fast." The asari sniffed.

"I blame your species, asari. How the fuck am I suppose to just go fuck someone else after the experience I had with this woman? She was cute, beautiful, innocent and funny… and that meld… god. I'm amazed you guys haven't enslaved humanity yet." Sheprad sighed, sipping her drink.

"You really are hopeless, Red. Did she at least have great tits?"

Shepard snorted her drink and started to cough, the bartender erupting in laughter as the human coughed and tried to breathe at the same time. Once she got it under control, Shepard scowled at the woman and then broke out into smile, laughing.

"You are really something. What's your name?" Shepard asked.

"Aethyta."

"Laura Shepard."

"Shepard? Wait, you mean like THE Shepard? Commander Shepard of the System Alliance? Hero of the Citadel?" Aethyta asked in surprise.

"The one and only. Yes, I'm aware the massive burn scars are missing. Remember, I died and was brought back to life. I really wish I was kidding about that part."

They started to chat, learning a bit about each other. Shepard was surprised Aethyta was a matriarch, since most tended to stay on Thessia and get involved in politics and such. The woman felt she could do more good here and felt the asari, as a whole, were too stuck in the past for her to be of any use to them. Shepard found she rather liked Aethyta and her quirks. She was a refreshing individual.

"Why don't we do a shot? To celebrate our newfound friendship, Red." Aethyta said, pulling out a bottle of a vibrant green liquid.

"Uh… I want to get drunk, not puke on your bar."

"And here I was beginning to think the great Commander Shepard had more balls than a krogan… but maybe I heard wrong." The bartender sneered.

That hit a nerve and Shepard scowled at her and took her up on her challenge. Aethyta simply smirked as she poured two shots, pushing one to Shepard. Taking a deep breath, Shepard downed the green liquid and immediately felt her throat burn in agony.

"Jesusfuckingchrist!" She gasped, clutching at her throat as she struggled to take a full breath.

Aethyta just laughed as she took her shot, watching the human struggle to keep her composure before pouring the woman a glass of water to help her out. Once recovered, Shepard noticed a familiar green asari was now at the bar, ordering a cocktail.

"Shiala? What are you still doing on Illium?" She croaked, throat still burning from the alcohol and face turning pink.

"Shepard! I, unfortunately, missed my shuttle. The paperwork took much longer to sort out that I had planned so I am waiting on another flight in the next few hours. You look like you've had a rough day."

Aethyta quietly backed off and watched as the two interacted. She kept making the green asari's drinks stronger and stronger though the human had stubbornly switched to water. That shot had really messed her up but the human's liver was stronger than she expected. Ryncol normally knocked a human unconscious within a few minutes but here she was, still sitting on her bar-stool and carrying a conversation with a really drunk asari. Shepard would give her suspicious looks eveytime she pour Shiala another drink but Aethyta would simply smirk and shrug and go back to keeping her hands busy.

She wanted to test this human's convictions.

* * *

Liara had decided to go out and do a little shopping, since she was running low on food and could use the walk anyway to clear her head. Being up in her apartment wasn't helping her thoughts and Shepard's visit had been more jarring that she had anticipated. Nos Astra was busy at all hours but it really livened up at night. There were news articles going on about the recent happenings with Eclipse, some mentioning Shepard's suspected involvement. She was passing close by Eternity and noticed a couple coming out. At first, she didn't pay much mind until she heard a loud laugh and recognized a familiar human voice. Liara immediately ducked out of sight as they passed by but it seemed that Shepard hadn't noticed her… or was too drunk to notice her. She was, however, close enough to hear their conversation.

"I swear your last drink was pure alcohol, Shiala." Shepard teased as she helped the asari steady herself.

"Really? But it tasted the shame… or maybe it didn't. I couldn't really tell, hic. You… you didn't have to pay." Shiala drawled drunkenly.

"I wouldn't be a good soldier if I didn't escort an inebriated lady safely back to her hotel. Plus, you kept me company. It was the least I could do." Shepard replied.

"Then I might feel obligated to give you a reward for your honorable actions, Commander." Shiala teased coyly, leaning very close into Shepard, mouth near her throat.

Liara felt her stomach twist as Shepard seemed to consider the blatant proposition the asari had given her. She now recognized her as the one they had spared on Feros. The Thorian must have had an effect on her skin or something. Part of her was telling her to just leave, that whatever Shepard decided to do was none of her business anymore. Shepard laughed, a sound Liara had rarely heard outside of their intimate moments.

"You're drunk Shiala." Sheprd reiterated.

"Not THAT drunk. I can… hic, still make decisions. Come on… indulge me, Commnder." Shiala purred.

Shepard was about to respond when she noticed a flicker of movement on the edge of her vision and looked up to catch a glimpse of Liara ducking out of sight. Did she hear Shiala's proposition? Granted, Shepard didn't have much intention to humor the asari but the flare of anger that sparked in her… what if Liara thought she was going off to get laid? This was petty and stupid but at this point, Shepard didn't care. Liara sure as hell wasn't going to.

"Why don't we get you back to your hotel, Shiala?" Shepard replied to her with a suggestive tone, taking one more glance at where she had seen Liara before allowing herself to be led away.

Steeling herself, Liara just waited until the pair were out of ear-shot and went home, feeling hot tears starting to cloud her vision. This was how it would have to be… she had to keep telling herself that. It was for the good of them both.


	24. Rebuilding Bridges

_I apologize for those that were disappointed with how the reunion between Laura and Liara went but I promise, if you stick with it... you'll be pleased with the reconciliation between the two. This chapter came out a bit more humorous than I had originally intended but it was kinda needed._

_As always, thank you for the reads, reviews, and/or favorites._

_EDIT 1: I changed a lot about this chapter._

* * *

_To: Tali'Zorah vas Neema, Garrus Vakarian_

_From: Liara T'Soni_

_I apologize for not spending time with you both when you visited. I didn't want to distress Shepard further. I'm also sorry I lost touch with you two… so much happened after the Normandy attack but I'm glad you two are doing well._

_If the Normandy ever stops on Illum again, I'd like to have the chance to catch up with you two. I… do not think Shepard and I will be on speaking terms anymore._

* * *

"As long as you keep your activities to the Traverse, Commander… we will re-instate you." Tevos announced with finality, despite the displeased look on the turian Councilor's face.

"I guess that's all I can ask for. Thank you." Shepard said politely, the call cutting off a few moments later.

"I expect you to behave yourself this time, Shepard. We don't need you stirring up needless trouble for the Alliance or the Council." Udina threatened.

"Blow it up your ass Udina. You're forgetting I'm not Alliance right now and I'm not Cerberus. I'm more of a… freelancer so don't think you can order me around just because I got my SPECTRE status back." Laura retorted smugly before leaving his office.

The Citadel hadn't changed much but then why would it? Shepard was standing outside the embassies, a bit disturbed by how much had changed and not all at the same time. It was weirding her out. Captain Anderson had been in the office with her and they had a chance to talk but, sadly, Udina cut their opportunity to talk rather short. She regretted making him Councilor, seeing he just became more of a sleaze ball but that was the furthest of her worries now. She still had a few more appointments to keep.

She had agreed to meet Tevara and Sha'ira at the Consort's office. When she arrived, the asari working the door ushered her inside. The place hadn't changed since the attack, Sha'ira quick to get back into operation before the dust had settled. She found herself at the door to the office before long and braced herself. She could only imagine how pissed Tevara was. There was so much to explain….

As soon as she walked in, both asari turned to face her. There was a few awkward moments of silence as Shepard finished crossing the threshold then Tevara stormed towards her, Sha'ira calling for her to stop but she didn't listen.

"Tevara, I…" Shepard managed to start before Tevara's hand struck her across the face.

The blow she had expected… mostly deserved. Shepard gritted her teeth to keep from spitting a swear, gingerly touching the stinging mark before looking at Tevara.

"Ok, I know I deserved that and I'm so…"

However, Tevara grabbing her coat and yanking her forward, kissing her fully, had been completely unexpected. Shepard stood there frozen, hearing Sha'ira snickering in the background. Tevara let her go a few seconds later, blushing.

"Now I'm confused. Are you pissed or happy to see me?" Shepard asked, finger tips brushing against her own lips.

"Both. I knida panicked. Goddess… the threads are new and so's the face… kinda. Damn you look hot without the scar." Tevara replied, still a bundle of nerves.

"Good to see you too, both of you. Ready to hear the most absurd story?"

Shepard sat down with them and explained everything that had happened until now. Surpisingly, Sha'ira and Tevara both took it rather well. Shepard felt greatly relieved as they talked. Ever since she left Illum, she had feared that everyone else she'd encounter would just push her away. Tevara's rather aggressive greeting made her happy but at the same time, Shepard still felt angry and she wasn't sure at what. Maybe it was herself, the Collectors… the universe in general, who knew.

"So, Cerberus is an ally in regards to the dangers of the Collectors. You are going to pursue them?" Sha'ira asked, turning the conversation to a more somber topic.

"Plan's to blow up their base of operations beyond the Omega-4 relay. I have a score to settle with them personally." Shepard replied, brow furrowing a little.

"I see. Well, I wish you luck on your mission. I'm sorry to cut this short but I have many clients to tend to. I'm glad to see you well, Laura. Now, you two go on. You still have much to catch up on." Sha'ira told them, signaling the end of the meeting.

Shepard followed Tevara out of the office and they wandered about the Presidium. They walked closed together but there was a tension between them.

"How… how are the girls?" Shepard asked.

"After your… death, Rebheka busted her ass to get into the academy on Thessia. Currently, she's top of her class and her instructors are quite proud of her. She might even be scouted for the SPECTREs." Tevara told her.

"Wow. You must be proud."

"I am. You should be too. She does it for you… she was a bit of a mess afterwards. Serah…she never stopped believeing you were alive, lost somewhere in the galaxy. I don't know if that was her way of coping or if she just had some weird hunch you'd be back because here you are. She's having a growth spurt… comes from having a krogan father." Tevara laughed.

"I bet. She's ten now, isn't she?" Shepard replied, smiling at the thought.

"Turns eleven in a few months. I actually need to pick her up from school. Want to come along?"

At first, Shepard hesitated but went along anyway. She knew if Serah found out she was here, she'd be very upset. They reached the school just as the bell rang to dismiss classes for the day. Children of varying races suddenly flooded out, some greeting parents and others heading off to daycare centers or the nearby park.

"Sheppy?!" A familiar little voice called, though the asari it belong to was taller than Shepard remembered.

Shepard couldn't help the stupid grin on her face as she knelt to one knee to scoop the girl up. She had indeed gotten bigger over these past couple of years as she hoisted her up with more effort but she didn't care. Those familiar arms hugging her tightly, the little girl's delighted laugh…

"I knew you'd come back!" Serah shouted in joy, tears standing in her eyes as she started to cry.

"Oh! Don't cry… I'm right here. Goodness, you've gotten big." Shepard told her, patting her on the back before setting her down on the ground.

Serah wiped her eyes and nose on the back of her hand, trying to put on a brave face for her. Both were happy to see each other and Tevara was happy to see her daughter smiling. They went to get ice cream before Shepard escorted them home. Tevara and Shepard stood at the door, saying some awkward goodbyes.

"It's nice to have you back Laura." Tevara said.

"I suppose it's pretty nice to be back too. I'm glad you decided not to warp me out of the office window or something. I… was, honestly, afraid you'd reject me like a few people have already." Shepard replied back.

"Reject you? Never. You're family and my girls adore you. I'd never hear the end of it if I turned my back on you now." The asari chuckled.

"Thanks Tevara. You… you've been a really great friend. I guess it's a good thing I got the crap kicked out of me that night."

"And stabbed before that. It's been strange trip but I wouldn't change it for anything." Tevara said with a smile.

"Ya… getting stabbed was totally worth it." Shepard laughed.

"Smartass. I suppose you're off to save the galaxy… again. Please be careful, ok?"

"I'll try but the Collectors are worse than the geth… this whole thing goes deep and I'm sure Cerberus can't wait to stab me in the back as soon as I'm finished." Shepard replied.

Before leaving, Shepard gently caught Tevara's chin and leaned in, giving her a soft, languid kiss. Tevara's eyes widened in surprise and Shepard backed away a moment later, smirking a little with a soft blush on her face.

"W-what was that for?" Tevara stammered.

"Fair's fair I suppose… and it kinda jumped to mind all of a sudden." Shepard said a bit evasively.

"What about Liara? Aren't you two still a thing?" the asari pressed.

"Not… anymore. Too much changed and she's already made it clear she's moved on. I should probably start doing the same."

"Oh, so I'm the rebound now?" Tevara laughed.

"I wouldn't do that to you but I'll admit, I've been thinking about it a lot lately… the moving on stuff not kissing you. Nevermind, I mean I tried to hook with someone a few weeks ago and I just couldn't do it. Shepard said, though not out-right admitting she'd hook up with her friend.

"I know but if you want to listen to my advice… I wouldn't give up on Liara just yet. She's been through a lot for someone so young. Just like you, she needs time to process everything going on. Give her another chance Shepard. I saw how happy you two were and that doesn't just go away." Tevara encouraged, patting Shepard on the shoulder.

"Easy for you to say. You weren't on Illium; she turned her back on me. She has someone else. Besides, I'd thought you'd jump at the chance to get me in your bed finally." Shepard jested solemnly.

"Under any other circumstances, you'd probably already be there but you're my friend Laura and I think we know how it'd go for us both. You're great with my kids, they adore you and I adore you but we don't have that kinda love." Tevara told her.

Shepard gave her a relieved smile, glad to hear that from the asari though part of her was slightly disappointed the woman no longer had any interest in a romantic pursuit with her. Perhaps it was for the best but Tevara was right about one thing; they were a family.

* * *

"I'm glad you reconnected with Tevara and her family. They were very important to you."

"They still are Kelly. It was nice to catch up with her and Sha'ira. Little Serah too though she isn't so little anymore." Shepard sighed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Old friends help keep you grounded. I do wish to talk more about what happened on Illium, however. Mostly pertaining to what happened after the missions." Kelly said.

"I knew this was gonna come up eventually. You've been skirting round it for awhile now." Shepard groned.

A week had passed since their stop at the Citadel to pick-up Kasumi and garner the Council's help and what little support they could offer. She regarded Kelly thoughtfully, her opinion changed of the woman since they started holding regular sessions in her quarters. Talking with the Yeoman about all matters going on was helping her from overwhelming her mind. It also kept her informed of any growing tensions and issues between the crewmates. Kelly was good at her job, she'd give her that.

"I was simply being respectful and giving your space though Miranda seems concerned that you had a… situation with an old acqueaintnce of yours?" Kelly asked.

"Shiala? She's worried if I banged Shiala that night? God, that woman spends too much time and energy babysitting me. If it'll ease her mind, I didn't sleep with her."

"You didn't?" Kelly asked in surprise.

"That surprises you? At first, I wanted to but Shiala was really drunk so I just tucked her into bed and slept on the couch. Cooked her breakfast and made sure she got on her flight. That was it." Shepard retorted, rolling her eyes.

"I am… surprised, Shepard."

"I was too but the more I thought about it… the more I think about it in general the more I realize that sex is just going to be sex. I don't think I could bear trying to make another emotional connection with someone like I did with Liara. I'll probably go down with the Collectors, given my luck." Shepard sighed.

"But you still love Liara." Kelly reminded her.

"It was more than love. We… melding with an asari like that changes you. There's no way I could describe it but it's… amazing. There's a part of her there, always. It just… I thought maybe, after waking up that… nevermind, I guess it didn't mean that much to her as it did to me." Shepard sighed, brow furrowing in frustration.

"How can you be sure of that?" Kelly questioned.

"I don't fucking know but she certainly made it clear she didn't want me anymore. Can we not talk about this right now?" Shepard replied in hostile tone.

Kelly politely changed the converstion to the mission, asking her about how she was getting along with the crew. They had picked up everyone the Illusive Man had suggested, though Shepard wasn't sure what to make of individuals like Zaeed and Kasumi, who were hired rather than recruited. Still… everyone had to get along and tensions were running high slowly but surely. Eventually, the session ended and they both had to get back to work. Kelly noted the model ships on display, seven of them on total, by Shepard's desk.

"You seem really taken with building model ships." She noted.

"It's a good distraction… plus it's funny when Miranda's doing the buget for the month and sees I bought two more on Cerberus's dime." Shepard chuckled.

As Kelly was leaving, Shepard suddenly scowled, thinking back to what she had brought up weeks ago and about what they had just discussed. Biting her lip in thought, she got up and followed after the Yeoman, calling her name to stop her before she left the room to board the elevator.

"Kelly, about what you said before… what would be your professional advice if I decide to have casual pursuits?" Shepard asked her quite seriously.

"My professional opinion? I think it would do you some good but it won't fix how you feel. A broken heart is difficul to mend but… perhaps if you feel that strongly for Liara, maybe you should remind her how much she means to you." Kelly replied with a wane smile before boarding the elevator.

* * *

_To: Hannah Shepard_

_From: Laura Shepard_

_It's me my mom but you probably already heard from Anderson about what's going on. I want to see you next time I'm on the Citadel in the next couple of months. There's a lot to talk about and apologize for._


	25. The New Team

_Apologize for the long pause in updates... kinda of a busy time of year for me. Bit of a lengthy chapter because I crammed a bunch of things together. Also, my internet has been unstable for some reason the past few weeks so it's made writing a bit annoying when my files don't sync up right._

_Thank you for the reviews and favorites guys, I really appreciate them._

_EDIT 1: Not many changes to this chapter. I did remove the conversation with Kasumi._

* * *

_To: Miranda Lawson_

_From: Kelly Chambers_

_Laura's progress has been slow but steady as she comes to terms with her situation. However, I have noticed that she seems constantly stressed about the mission. She spoke of having the nightmares again and they seem to be occurring with alarming frequency. I recommend, discreetly, that Tali, Garrus, Joker, and Dr. Chakwas be appraised of Shepard's situation._

_I am worried she might devolve into recklessness again._

* * *

Shepard felt like, at this point, she really needed to spend time getting to know her crew. She was already pretty familiar with Miranda and Jacob as well as Tali and Garrus, since those two had been with her at the start. However, Mordin, Jack, Thane, Samara, Grunt, Zaeed, and Kasumi were complete unknowns to her. If she was gonna use these people to fight the Collectors, she had to know who would have her back and who she needed to be wary of. She decided to start with Jack… since she was a constant thorn in her problem with always picking fights with Miranda.

Jack had taken up residence in the belly of the ship, underneath the engineering deck. She couldn't really understand why Jack wanted to be down here but as long as it made her happy, Shepard wasn't going to argue.

"What do you want, Shepard?" Jack asked, lounging on her bunk with a datapad.

To placate her even further, she had given the biotic full access to the data servers on the Normandy. She wasn't overly fond of Cerberus, so Jack took every chance she could get to piss off Miranda.

"Just checking up on you, making sure you didn't caught in the ducts and die." Shepard responded.

Jack flipped her off but that was her usual greeting. Shepard wasn't expecting much loyalty in this woman but she was quite powerful for a human biotic and she didn't want to be on the wrong side of her temper. Still… there was something about Jack that drew her to the biotic, things she wanted to know about her. Maybe it was the tattoos… she stared at them often enough, trying to figure out what each one meant and how the hell the woman managed to get them all to seamlessly match.

"Still no way I can convince you to put on a shirt, can I?" She joked.

"Am I distracting you, Shepard? Don't think I didn't catch you staring just now." Jack said a bit snidely, tossing aside the datapad.

"Believe me, I'm staring at the tattoos, not your barely concealed tits."

"Right. Blue women do it for you." Jack jested, grinning slyly.

"Oh fuck off. Did you find anything you were looking for in the data-bases?"

"Ya, plenty… including the facility I was 'raised' on. Pragia. Hated that place." Jack retorts, getting up from her bunk and walking past Shepard.

She shoved the datapad into Shepard's chest so she could look for herself. Shepard wasn't all that surprised that Cerberus had a private facility… they probably had dozens if not hundreds of them hidden all over the place. Hell, she had woken up in one before it went down in flames. Experimentation also wasn't something she was surprised about… Akuze being a prime example. Their experimentation nearly killed her. And then there was Admiral Kohaku… her lips turned into a scowl at the thought of what they had done to him before she had arrived to try and help.

"So, what do you want to do now that you found it? Seems like Cerberus closed the facility after you wrecked it in your escape." Shepard asked, looking up at her.

"I want to go down there, find my room, plant a big fucking bomb right in the center of it and blow that place to hell." Jack said.

Shepard looked up at her and noticed the haunted look in her eyes. Jack, for all of her aggressive bravado, reminded her of herself. She knew she could never understand what Cerberus had done to her for years but, she had an idea about the extent of the damage.

"Alright. I wouldn't mind blowing up another Cerberus facility anyway. I'll make the arrangements for the bomb and I'll let you know." The Commander said.

"Seriously? Just like that?" Jack replied dubiously.

"I have no loyalty to Cerberus Jack. I have a bone to pick with them still." She retorted.

"Really now? They revived you after you had died… can't imagine why you're not grateful."

Jack had a point; if she had been anyone else, she'd probably be kissing Cerberus's ass for giving her a second chance… a chance no one had ever gotten before. However… she pulled up her omni-tool and accessed her private database and sent something to Jack. Jack looked down at her arm before bringing up her own omni-tool, eyes widening in surprise as she pulled up the image Shepard had just sent her.

"That was me… after six months of surgeries and therapy. I was on Akuze on my first command mission when I and my squad were attacked by three Thresher Maws… drawn there by Cerberus devices. They were testing to see if the Thesher Maws could be used as weapons. They did the same with a distress beacon a few years ago and it nearly cost me my new team. I survived the attack on Akuze barely. They also killed a fleet Admiral who got too close to exposing what they had done."

"Fucking Christ… what the hell happened?" Jack asked, visibly sickened by the picture as she shut it off.

"Acid burn. It was amazing it didn't kill me but I was in a coma for a few months before I snapped out of it. I had nightmares… haunted by the team and what had happened so… no, I don't have an obligation to Cerberus. In fact, I'd burn them to the ground and wring the Illusive Man's neck if I could." She responded sourly.

"Cheerleader isn't going to be happy." Jack warned.

"I'm the Commander, not her…" Shepard started but EDI interrupted her.

"Commander. You are needed in the cargo bay immediately. Grunt seems to be… quite agitated." The AI announced.

"Duty calls. I'll let you know when we're prepped for Pragia, Jack. Try not to antagonize Miranda further. I'd like to keep the Normandy in one piece until AFTER we deal with the Collector's at least."

* * *

Grunt was pacing back and forth, grunting and huffing angrily when Shepard walked into his room. The tank still sat in the corner but there wasn't much else. Grunt didn't really 'own' anything, aside from the suit he wore. He paused when he noticed Shepard.

"Everything alright Grunt?" She asked.

"No! I don't understand what is going on. I feel like… I need to crush things, destroy. Kill! Sitting cooped up in this room is not helping!" He growled, resuming his pacing.

Shepard studied him with concern. Her relationship with Grunt was a bit different. Instead of just being comrades, she often felt like his mother at points. Lecturing him and educating him had been an odd experience and Grunt looked up to her for guidance to being a soldier.

"EDI… do we have anything in our records about krogan behaviors or something?" Shepard called to the ship.

"Unfortunately, not much is known about krogan physiology. They go to great lengths to keep medical information private." EDI announced.

"Well damn… I guess we're going to have to consult someone on Tuchunka. We'll figure out what's going on Grunt just… try not to rip the ship in half before we get there." She said, sighing.

"I will try Shepard but hurry…" Grunt growled before slamming his head into the glass and cracking it.

Shepard decided to leave before Grunt slammed her into the wall again. She still remembered how that encounter had gone after waking him. She was lucky she had managed to pull her pistol without him noticing it… probably saved her life.

As she was walking, she realized she was passing close to the drell's room. He needed special accommodations due to his species… though she had nearly forgotten about him. He didn't have much of a presence. She entered his room and winced a little at the humidity but as long as he was comfortable... Thane was sitting at the table quietly. Drells were still a new thing to her and she had seen first-hand what he was capable of.

"Shepard. What can I do for you?" He asked, his trilling voice making her spine tingle for reasons she'd rather not think about.

"Just dropping in, seeing if you've settled in alright. I know we haven't really interacted much since Illium." She said, leaning against the wall a little.

"Your crew has been very accommodating and EDI quite helpful." He said pleasantly, his large eyes fixed on her.

"I'm glad. Did I interrupt you earlier? You looked like you were deep in thought." Shepard asked.

"I was praying actually… but it was simply to calm myself."

They talked and Shepard learned much about him… mostly about his spirituality and eidetic memory. The way he would suddenly relive a kill so perfectly, as if it had just happened… it made her skin crawl in recollection to how she would remember how her skin had burned or Liara's touch… she shouldn't think about that. Thane noticed her concerned expression.

"Did I upset you Shepard?" He asked worriedly.

"No… just got me thinking. I dream of my memories of Akuze, of dying in the Normandy's wreckage, of… well, I may not recall them clearly like you can but sleeping brings them out and it's just unnerving. You are very well composed. I'm a little jealous."

They discussed the matter some more and Shepard started to feel doubtful... or maybe she was becoming more certain. Thane offered to teach her some meditation techniques to help her calm down and relax. Unfortunately, their conversation was cut short when Miranda asked her to come to her office. She apologized to Thane but he didn't seem bothered by the interruption.

Now, what the hell could Miranda want?

* * *

"Yeoman Chambers and Dr. Chakwas recent evaluations of you have me… worried, Shepard. Even I've seen how increasingly reckless you've become in the field. You seem to have no regard for your personal safety." Miranda said a bit crossly.

"Why should I? I'm at least a quarter machine and since I'm so 'important' to Cerberus's plans, you'll just put me back together. At least the next time, you'll have a fresh corpse." Shepard retorted sourly.

"Not if you take a bullet to the head. Laura… this isn't even about that. I'm personally worried. You've been very temperamental since Illium." She replied, deciding to change the topic a little.

"Or maybe I don't like how you've been nosing in my business uninvited." Shepard replied with hostility.

"You got drunk and picked up some random asari… semi-random asari. I know you and Liara aren't on great terms right now but you're making a lot of poor decisions lately and my concern is how it will affect the mission. You could jeopardize everything with your carelessness." Miranda chided.

"Then why don't you take the mission then? I didn't ask for this… fuck, I don't want this. I'm perfectly content with being buried six feet under and left alone like I should have been!"

The tension in the room grew suddenly thicker between the two, though Shepard didn't even notice she was breathing so loud. Her blood was singing in her ears and that rage and frustration had taken hold. After a few minutes of silence, Shepard let out an explosive breath and slumped in her seat.

"I didn't want this…" She said wearily, voice still laced with anger.

"I'm sorry She… Laura. I, honestly, did not think Project Lazarus would actually succeed. You were in such bad shape when we received you and then the attempt at regrowing and revitalizing dead tissue… it's nothing short of a miracle you came back the same." Miranda said, glad that Shepard had calmed down slightly.

"But that's the problem. I haven't changed, everything else has. Did... how bad were the complications? Sometimes I… remember waking up before I woke up, if that makes sense." She replied, looking up at her XO.

"Yes. The few times we woke you during the final phase of the project, you were barely there… except one incident. Seventy-three days before the station was attacked, you suddenly woke while we were checking the cybernetics used to repair what we couldn't naturally." Miranda told her.

"Why did I wake up?" Shepard asked, a bit intrigued.

"I have no idea. My best guess is you started becoming aware and the first thing that came to mind was your last moments. You were screaming and behaving as if you couldn't breathe. We had to strap you down and pump you full of sedatives before you calmed. But during that… you kept calling out to Liara."

Shepard felt a sinking feeling in her gut but ignored what it meant… she didn't want to think about it. Thinking about it meant she was aware it was there. It was better now just to ignore how she felt about Liara… no matter how much it hurt.

"I see… what does that have to do with anything?" Shepard asked.

"Don't let your grief cloud your judgment. We need you to lead this team. The reason I am not because I cannot command loyalty and trust like you can, Shepard. We may not like each other and I may not agree with most of your decisions and your animosity towards Cerberus… but I know what you're capable of and I believe in that." Miranda said.

Shepard considered her words for a moment, scowling. Maybe Miranda was right… maybe she WAS being careless as of late. Was it confidence? No… well, maybe a little but not to the extent where she was casually absorbing bullets but she had a lot more scars than she had before. Then she thought about what had happened when fighting their way to Thane… the Eclipse merc she shoved out the window. She had been angry and hurt but until now, she hadn't given it a second thought. She had never been that… cruel before. The realization was startling and worrisome.

"I… I'm sorry Miranda. You're right, I need to get my shit together and lead this team… else the Collectors win and so will the Reapers. I know I give you crap but… honestly, why support Cerberus? You can't just blindly ignore the fact they kill innocent people for their own agenda." Shepard finally replied, fixing the woman with a firm look.

"The Illusive Man helped me at a crucial moment in my life. He's earned my loyalty. Not everyone agrees with what we do but it's for the betterment of the human race." Miranda said, a hint of pride in her voice.

"Oh really? Well…. I'm not going to argue with you but I hope one day you change your mind about them Miranda. Cerberus intentions are never for the betterment of anyone." She replied getting up to leave.

Miranda watched her for a moment before remembering there was another reason she had called the Commander in. The woman was nursing emotional wounds of various kinds, the prominent being Liara's rejection of her. She had been, honestly, surprised when the asari pushed her away but she assumed it had to do with her hunt for the Shadow Broker. Shepard was handling herself pretty well since Illium but then… her increased purchases of model ships was a little worrisome.

"Laura… I actually have a favor I could use from you, if you are willing to return to Illium." Miranda asked.

"You? Asking for a favor? That's new."

"It's a delicate situation involving my sister… and my father." Miranda sighed.

* * *

Laura was tired as hell when she walked into the mess hall and slouched into the closest chair. Rubert asked her if she wanted something to eat but all she wanted was a cup of Thessian tea. While he was fixing that, she was sitting there with a numb expression on her face, fiddling with her omni-tool. Everyone had practically told her she needed to fight for Liara, to not give up but she wasn't sure what to do; it was making her head ache a great deal.

"You look troubled, Commander Shepard." A familiar voice called to her, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Samara! Sorry, I didn't hear you come in." Shepard said in surprise, staring up at the justicar.

"It's quite alright Shepard. Would you mind if I joined you?" She asked politely.

Samara's personality was one Laura still did not understand. She had seen how the woman had dealt with the Eclipse mercs in her pursuit of… someone. The matriarch asari hadn't been very forthcoming with whom she was pursuing, only that it was part of her purpose as a justicar. Shepard only knew the basics of Asari culture and she wasn't sure how to treat her without risk of offending the woman and getting her neck snapped. The asari sat down across from her just as Rubert came to the table and dropped off a cup of tea for Shepard.

"Heya Justicar. Can I get you anything?"

"Some tea would be just fine." Samara replied with a smile.

After a few minutes, Rubert came back with a hot cup of dark amber tea for Samara, for which she politely thanked him. Shepard watched her curiously for a minute as she sipped her own tea, ignoring the fact it was still quite hot. The asari noticed and gave her a concerned look.

"Are you sure you're alright, Commander? You seem quite troubled."

"Just a lot on my mind. I'm still trying to get… used to things, I guess." Shepard replied.

"I see… the atmosphere on the ship has become rather tense as of late and you appear quite stressed." Samara observed."

"Everyone seems to be picking up on that. It's just… weird. It's been about three years since I died and yet I just can't fully believe that in my head, no matter how many times I remind myself. Everything I see and do and learn about just seems wrong." Shepard sighed.

"It must be a very difficult predicament. The others seem quite worried, especially the turian and quarian. They are old friends of yours, correct?"

"Ya… back when Saren was stirring up trouble for everyone. I wish everyone else had been as welcoming as those two." Shepard said sourly without even realizing her tone.

"You are… unhappy about how things went with Liara? I apologize for prying but it seems to be a topic of interest with several of the crew who are familiar with you." Samara replied, sipping her cup of tea.

"Tali… she loves to gossip. I suppose I am unhappy but I mean… she's moved on with her life. I can't be mad at her for that, no matter how I feel otherwise. Woulda been nice if she hadn't given me such mixed signals when I saw her but…" Shepard felt her throat lock up all of a sudden and she clenched her hand on the edge of the table.

"Losing a loved one is never an easy wound to endure… but you have held up surprisingly well, given your unique circumstances. You have a very powerful will, Commander."

Shepard was about to respond when Samara's expression shifted slightly. The justicar suddenly looked troubled as she became lost in thought for a few moments. Their conversation had a pretty somber air to it but Laura was in a pretty somber mood. They weren't any closer to the Collectors and the Illusive Man was starting to breathe down the back of her neck a bit.

"I am not certain if I remember thanking you for tracking down that ship manifest for me." Samara suddenly said, looking right at her.

"Oh, you're welcome. Did it help at all?" Laura asked, having completely forgotten about that.

"Yes… I tracked down where the ship had gone. Omega… but after doing some digging, my worst fears have been confirmed." Samara said, her voice oddly stiff.

"Worst fears? What… or who, exactly, were you chasing?"

"A dangerous creature… and my daughter." Samara replied, void a mixture of sadness and anger.

Samara suddenly opened up about herself, telling Shepard about her bondmate and the daughters they had. Laura had no idea there was a genetic anomaly with the asari but as Samara explained it and why the Ardat-Yakshi could be the source of the stigma against purebloods, the Commander understood… mostly. Samara's tale saddened her but Morinth, whom she learned was her eldest daughter's name and the one she was hunting, was a danger to the entire galaxy.

"I'm amazed no one has attempted to stop her along with you." Shepard said, a bit in awe.

"Morinth is clever and very good at manipulating others for her own means. However, she seems to have set up a new hunting ground on Omega. I wish to corner her there before she has a chance to disappear into the Traverse." Samara retorted with determination.

"I don't blame you. As soon as we have the chance, we'll go after her." Shepard assured her.

"Thank you."

Their conversation tapered off from there and Shepard needed some sleep. Speaking with everyone had been exhausting and seemed like everyone needed help with something… so they were going to be busy for a while. She headed to her room, barely acknowledging Kelly at her station as she took the elevator. Shepard flopped down on her bed, not even bothering to kick off her boots and just stared up at the ceiling. There was so much going through her head right now, she wasn't even sure where to start. She needed a distraction…

* * *

To: [Redacted]

From: Laura Shepard

Rumor is you might have an Ardat-Yakshi lurking in your quaint kingdom. If you do me a favor and keep an eye on her, I'll owe you big. She's a mark I'm hunting but a slippery one.


	26. Near Miss

_Been slow on the writing things, but cranked out some more chapters. It's still gonna be pretty slow in the upload side of things cause life is kinda busy for me right now but thanks for the continued favs and comments guys. I really appreciate it._

_EDIT 1: Not too much different with this one. I did put a little more emphasis on a couple of details and removed the message to Liara._

* * *

"I don't like this Joker… I don't see any damage to the ship. Scans picking up anything?" Shepard asked, looking out the windows nervously at the Collector Ship as they approached.

"Nothing. It seems to be powered down for now but… I dunno what those turian ships did but it seems to be out of commission." He replied, sounding just as nervous.

As a precaution, Shepard only took a small team consisting of her, Grunt, Tali, and Kasumi. She didn't like this but the Illusive Man believed it was a perfect opportunity to gather intelligence on the Collectors and figure out how to get to their base past the Omega 4 Relay. Shepard didn't like the idea of being anywhere near the ship, not with the Normandy so under-powered. If it tore into the ship again… there'd be no coming back a second time. Still… it was an opportunity they could not waste right now.

The ship was eerily quiet and again, there was no obvious damage to the ship. Hell, EDI hadn't even been able to detect any trace of the supposed turian ships that had disabled it. Something in the back of Shepard's mind was warning her that something was really wrong about the whole thing. EDI gave them the coordinates to a mainframe that she needed to access so she could datamine the ship's computers. Nothing about the Collector ship was reassuring… especially the piles of fetid corpses they kept encountering. The piles were near computers and lab stations of sorts and the group stopped with Tali pointed out one of them had a Collector inside the pod.

"It seems like they have been extrapolating and modifying DNA… that's probably how the Reapers make the husks." Tali said as she was reading the data on the terminal.

"Why would the Reapers care about DNA? I thought they controlled their troops through machine implants, like they did with Saren?" Shepard asked, peering nervously at the Collector in the pod.

"I guess its part of the process…. Keelah! Shepard! The Collectors… I'm not sure if I'm reading this right but if I am… the Collectors are Protheans!"

"What?!"

Tali sent the data to EDI and she confirmed, even able to trace where this particular Collector was from. A sinking feeling began to fill her stomach and make her feel queasy. Everyone thought the Protheans had been utterly destroyed but it seems the Reapers had cursed them to a worse fate, forever their mindless slaves and twisted beyond all recognition. But why? The question was burning in her head more fiercely as they found more and more mysteries and less answers to go with them.

As Tali and EDI were finishing up here, Shepard wandered around the room to see if there was anything else of use. She heard a 'psst' to her right and turned her head in time to see someone… at least she thought it had been a person, duck into a small alcove. Curious and cautious, Shepard pulled her pistol and slowly walked towards there, rounding the corner with her weapon up but there was no one there. She could swear she had seen someone but after another minute or so of waiting, Shepard brushed it off and went back to the team. Tali had finished copying all the data, mentioning Liara might be interested in it. The mention of the asari's name made her scowl, having already sternly told the crew to quit talking about her, especially within earshot of Shepard.

The team continued into the heart of the ship, where the mainframe was. That was when they discovered the pod room, the same pods they had seen on Freedom's Progress and Horizon. Just one ship could take an entire planet and Shepard feared that the Collectors might be bold enough to attack Earth itself.

"That's the terminal ahead Commander." EDI announced as they got closer.

Once EDI was patched in, all hell broke loose. Moments before the ship started to stir, EDI enounced that the supposed distress call from the turians had been fake… it was a trap set up by the Collectors to lure them out here. While EDI was fighting the system to buy them time to escape before the main cannon on the ship was fully powered, they had to fight their way out. Suddenly, the ship was alive with Collectors, Husks, and Abominations to thwart their path back to the shuttle.

Grunt enjoyed the fight but Tali and Kasumi did not share the krogan's enthusiasm for battle. With the krogan carving a path for them, they ran for the shuttle as fast as they could but the Collectors were putting on the pressure the closer and closer they got to escaping.

"System 80% powered." EDI warned.

"I know!" Shepard shouted, annoyed and trying not to panic.

She had to duck down low to avoid a shot aimed at her head. They were all pinned down in a large room, so close to getting out of here and the clock was ticking. If the ship powered up before they could get away… Shepard didn't want to watch that happen again. Muttering a quick swear, she vaulted over her barrier, Tali shouting at her not to, and made a break for it. She caught a quick look of the Harbinger Collector, body burning from the inside out and watching her intently.

"You will not escape Shepard!"

"GO! NOW!" Shepard screamed at her team, waving at them to head for the exit.

A shot hit her, completely shattering her barrier, a second piercing her right shoulder and throwing her to the ground. Shepard cursed at having reduced the plating of her armor in favor of the new stealth module but she managed to get up and drag herself behind cover. Her shoulder hurt like hell but the application of medi-gel immediately helped numb the pain. However, now she was pinned, with the Collectors cutting off her escape route… until Grunt came charging through, carving a fresh path and Tali and Kasumi both giving support fire for Shepard to make a break for it.

"You ok there?" Kasumi asked as Shepard caught up and they started pulling back.

"Ya… been in worse predicaments." She admitted, wincing as she shifted her shoulder.

They booked it the rest of the way, Collectors right on their heels, shots flying everywhere. The shuttle was right in front of them but the ship was shaking as it was close to powering on. This was going to be close. Shepard fell a few steps back to provide cover fire as the crew got on. Once everyone was aboard, she hopped on and they booked it out of there. She could see all the lights popping on the exterior of the ship as it nearly reached full power. As soon as they were on the Normandy, Shepard ran for the bridge.

"Get us out of here Joker!" She shouted!

"Already on it!"

Shepard watched in horror as the Collector ship started to turn, EDI having cleared the interruption to their systems and gaining back control. The cannon in the center was glowing and she couldn't help but remember the beam tearing through the Normandy, knocking her away from the escape pod…

"Shit!" Joker swore as the Normandy gave a massive jolt.

Shepard was thrown to the ground, hitting her head against the floor pretty hard as Joker piloted the ship to avoid the attack before high-tailing it out of there. Once they were a safe distance, he gave a small breath of relief, Shepard slowly picking herself up off the floor, her head throbbing.

"That was WAY too close Commander. Let's never do that again." Joker said, petting the console.

"Ya… let's not." Shepard agreed, gingerly rubbing the back of her head.

"Commander Shepard, the Illusive Man is requesting to speak with you." EDI interrupted.

* * *

Her conversation with the Illusive Man left Shepard in a bad mood. EDI had pointed out on the Collector ship that there was no way he wouldn't have realized the distress signal had been a trick… which means he lured them there on purpose. She called the crew into the meeting room to discuss what had transpired and their plans moving forward.

"So this was a fucking set-up!" Jack growled, glaring daggers at Miranda as she tried to defend the Illusive Man's actions.

"I have to agree with Jack, we almost had a second… well, you know. That was too close of a call." Garrus grumbled, Tali nodding agreement.

"I already chewed him out on that but he doesn't care… at least we got what we needed from the ship. The Collectors use a special IFF to get through the Omega 4 Relay. EDI was also able to track down where their base is." Shepard said, signaling for EDI to bring up the map.

Much to everyone's surprise, the coordinates put the Collector's base right at the heart of the galaxy. Shepard scowled and glanced up at Garrus and Tali and they shared the same concern as her.

"This can't be right… nothing can survive there." Miranda commented in confusion.

"The Collectors are servants of the Reapers… and I, Garrus, and Tali have seen a fraction of what just a single one is capable of. I'm not surprised they can build a base at the heart of the galaxy. This is a lot more complicated than I thought it would be." Shepard sighed.

"What is your plan, Commander?" Samara chimed in, looking at her.

"Right now… we tie up our loose ends and wait for the Illusive Man to track us down an IFF of our own… else we're not getting through the relay in one piece. We also need to get the Normandy in top form. The Collectors will throw everything at us when we get there…" Shepard started to say only hesitating when she looked up for a moment.

For a fleeting moment, Shepard saw Kaiden standing behind Zaeed's right shoulder, near the door. He looked so real… she hadn't even realized her jaw was hanging open until EDI finally snapped her back to attention. A single blink of the eye and he was gone.

"Shepard are you ok?" Tali asked in concern.

"I… I'm fine. Just took a few knocks to the head today. Everyone's dismissed." She said hastily, still in disbelief at what she had seen.

Garrus and Tali lingered, waiting until everyone was gone. They were familiar with the signs of when Shepard wasn't ok. The slight paling of her face, widening of her green eyes… and the slack-jaw had been a dead giveaway. Garrus placed a taloned hand on her shoulder, tilting his head down to look her in the eye.

"Laura… did you have one of those flashbacks again?" He asked, voice filled with concern.

"No, not them. I saw Kaiden… like he was just there for a second… like, actually there." Shepard said, gesturing towards the door.

"Is this the first time you've seen him?" Tali asked.

"Ya… I also thought I heard someone on the Collector ship but… never got a good look at them. Something about this is… weird." Shepard said, looking at the both of them deadpan.

"Shepard, if they're coming back…" Garrus started but she stopped him by simply raising her hand.

"I know but… we have too much shit on our plate as is and like I said, this isn't like before. Guys… I'll be fine." She said, giving them a small smile.

"Alright Shepard. Listen… Tali and I wanted to apologize for hounding you about Liara. We were just…" Garrus started, looking to Tali for help in finishing the sentence.

"It's just… weird to not see you two together. You and Liara were so happy and I certainly can't believe she'd just… " Tali started to say, only to have Shepard sigh and cut her off.

"It's fine, really. Liara had no reason to wait for me and she's moved on with her life… she's got her own worries to deal with now so can we just leave it at that. I'll get over it… eventually."

"Plenty of blue fish in the sea." Garrus joked.

Tali smacked Garrus on the shoulder but Shepard knew he had meant well by that… or at least, she assumed he did. She felt that familiar dull ache in her chest creep up but she shoved it aside like every other thought and emotion that bubbled up in association with. Garrus and Tali left, leaving Shepard in the room by herself. She leaned against the table in a thoughtful manner, still a bit troubled by seeing Kaiden a few minutes ago. It wasn't like her other hallucinations, where she had a powerful sense of dread and despair. He was just… there. However, her quiet contemplation was interrupted by EDI.

"Is everything alright Commander?"

"I'm fine EDI… just thinking. Can you tell Joker to set a course for Tuchunka? We have to clean up some loose ends."

"Of course Commander."

* * *

Liara arrived at her home tired after a long day of troublesome clients. She looked round at the Prothean artifacts in her apartment, always finding some comfort in them. As she walked into the main room, she was greeted by the other piece of her collection… the melted chest plate of Shepard's armor that she had taken from her corpse. It was one of two items she kept, the other being Shepard's dog-tags... which had managed to survive.

Looking at it now, with Shepard alive and well, was surreal. She wondered what the woman would think if she knew she had kept these two trinkets. Lying to her, watching her Commander's heart break… it had hurt and placed the asari in a constant state of unease. She kept track of Shepard's movements through the galaxy, partially in thanks to Garrus and Tali. Her friends were willing to keep in touch with her, which was a small comfort. Sighing to herself, Liara went upstairs and stripped down to her underwear and sat down on her bed, bringing up her omni-tool to check her personal messages. Most were from clients but there were a couple that caught her eye… one in particular making her breath catch in her throat for a moment.

* * *

_To: Liara T'Soni_

_From: Laura Shepard_

_I found some data you might be interested in, if you're still into the Prothean stuff. I'll be on Ilium anyway in a month or so, so I'll just drop it by your office._

* * *

_She's coming back to Illium?_

The thought of seeing Shepard again made Liara's heart jump in elation. As much as she could ignore it and bury it under her work, she still loved the human a great deal. They had changed each other after that night before hitting the Mu Relay. She could still recall every moment of that night and intmate encounter afterwards. The burning kisses along her throat, strong hands gripping her legs…

Liara hadn't realized she started panting so hard as she snapped out of the day dream, tongue darting over her dry lips. They had connected so strongly… Liara wondered if Shepard experienced the same thing when she thought about her. The thought was both a guilty pleasure and saddening. If Shepard could remember their moments together with such clarity, it had to be torture for her. Liara sighed heavily as she flopped back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling, acutely aware of the feel of the delicate metal chain around her neck, often hidden under her clothes. She picked up the ring hanging off of it and held up so she could see it, the interlaced gold bands burnished with age. She should have given this back to Hannah but… Liara couldn't let it go, just like the chest plate and dog tags. Every time she looked at it, it reminded her of what Shepard had wanted for them… of what could have been. Hell, she could still have it but now… now she feared the damage was already done. Shepard wouldn't want her anymore at this point.

* * *

_To: Liara T'Soni_

_From: Tali_

_Laura mentioned we might be going by Illium again fairly soon… something about tying up loose ends. Everyone seems to be on edge lately, more-so because we nearly had a repeat of the attack on the Normandy after the Illusive Man lured us to a Collector Ship. We know what we need to get through the relay but… getting the required equipment is gonna take some doing I guess._

_Still, I can't wait to see you again! Garrus and I really want to sit down and just… catch up. We all kinda went our separate ways after… well, anyway. We should meet-up. I'm fairly certain Laura's gonna give us shore leave. The crew is, slowly, getting to know each other and everyone's working together better. For the life of me, I don't understand why Shepard wants to go to Tuchunka but it seems to have something to do with Grunt._

_Hope to see you soon Liara._


	27. Maw Slayer

_More misadventures, woo!_

_EDIT 1: The fighting with the Thresher Maw is modeled after the ME2 Cinematic Trailer encounter, so I fleshed it out a bit more. I also added Urz, the varren pet you get, because Urz is my favorite and needs more attention._

* * *

Shepard wasn't sure what to expect on the Krogan home world but the sight when they stepped off the shuttle made her understand what Wrex was talking about years ago. The place was so… dismal, it was no small wonder why few krogan wished to stay here. She noticed a few krogans in red armor glaring at her, members of Blood Pack but they left her alone and she left them alone. They walked into some vast chamber, where lots of krogan seemed to be loitering around. Shepard noted she didn't see any young around… just tired old warriors, pyjaks, and varren. She noticed a kind of 'throne' in the center, made of concrete and metal, where several krogan seemed to be talking… well, arguing it sounded like.

As Shepard approached, the talking suddenly stopped and a couple of krogan parted. A big grin suddenly hit Shepard as she saw who was sitting on the throne, rising up to greet her with an equally large grin on his ugly, scarred face.

"Shepard!" Wrex bellowed in glee.

"Wrex!" She replied, hurrying up the few steps and slipping past the krogan standing there.

The krogan immediately crushed her in a big hug, lifting her straight off her feet and nearly choking her to death. Despite that, once she was back on her feet, Shepard couldn't help the giddiness she felt at seeing Wrex again.

"You look good for a dead woman, Shepard. Even got those scars replaced." He joked, waving off one of the krogan as they tried to get his attention, making him storm off in irritation. "So, what brings you to Tuchunka?" He asked, giving her a curious look.

"A couple of things, namely… something seems to be up with my friend Grunt here. He's been very… agitated. Also looking for a salarain." Shepard said, taking a step to the side to allow Grunt to walk up.

Wrex gave the tank-bred krogan a crucial look, sniffing at him and sizing him up. Grunt held still, the attention of the krogan slowly turning on him. Shepard noticed he did indeed look much different than his brethren and it was such an odd contrast.

"So you're what Warlord Okeer was up to. You smell correct for a tank-bred but there's nothing wrong with you. You just need to take the rite, like all krogan do when they come of age. Go see the shaman for instructions." Wrex instructed, gesturing to his right. "As for your salarian… another clan's got him, one I'm not too fond of. Go talk to the field scout, he can tell you where to find your salarian… if he's still alive."

Wrex promised they'd talk more later, but Grunt's little 'problem' needed to be taken care of soon and they needed to find Mordin's assistant… which Shepard decided to take care of first. The rover took them out to where they needed to but the missions quickly became more than it appeared. Maelon had not been captured by Blood Pack as Mordin had believed; he was working with them to undo the genophage… namely working with Clan Weyrlock, who wished to overthrow Urdnot Wrex and his clan. Despite the fierce opposition they received from the opposing krogan clan, they muscled their way through the hospital and found Maelon working fervently at a terminal. The plight of the krogan was starting to sink in for Shepard as they had navigated through the place, finding corpses that had been experimented on, the desperation in the dry, lifeless air thick and suffocating. Mordin seemed adamant about destroying Maelon's research, though complimenting his efforts at the same time. However, Shepard had noticed the salarian's convictions wavering since they entered the hospital.

"Mordin… are you sure you want to destroy this?" Shepard asked calmly.

"It has to be, Shepard." Mordin told her, working at the terminal.

"Hold on. You've seen what the genophage has done to the krogan. You can't still be ok with this Mordin."

"If the krogan start breeding again, they will spread like last time. Much destruction. Chaos. War… bloodshed. Genophage was the right decision. Modfiying the genophage was the right decision." He argued, refusing to look up at her.

"Bullshit. You heard Wrex… his plans for his people. They're not animals, Mordin… you can't keep denying them hope for a future. For a place in this galaxy with the rest of us." Shepard argued.

Mordin looked up, considering her words for a moment. In the end, he decided to keep the data for future study. Maelon was on the right track but was nowhere close to creating a cure. Satisfied with the outcome, they headed back to take care of Grunt's rite of passage. The ride back in the rover was awkward though the Urdnot driving seemed quite happy that clan Weyrlock was destroyed. She figured Wrex would be pleased by that news as well when they got back.

They went to see the shaman, where Shepard found the krogan from earlier discussing something with the shaman. The Urdnot shaman gave Grunt the same critical eye that Wrex had earlier. He didn't seem opposed to Grunt taking the Rite of Passage, namely because he had no clan or krantt.

"Well, if Grunt needs a krantt, then I'll gladly fill that role." She chimed in.

"I see no issue with it but… krantts are an alien concept to your species. Do you even understand what it means, human?" The shaman asked.

"Grunt's part of my crew, my responsibility. If ANYONE wants to bar his right to participate in krogan traditions… I have no problem putting a few bullets in their face." Shepard declared, glaring at Uvenk.

"He is tank bred! And this human has no right to be declared his krantt! She's not even krogan!" Uvenk protested.

Fed up with Uvenk's constant whining and arguing, Shepard rounded on him and, in good ole krogan fashion, slammed her head into the krogan's crest. Though the bony structure hurt her more than it hurt him, the force behind the blow was hard enough to force him to stagger back a few steps, stunned. The Urdnot shaman barked in laughter at the embarrassing scene, Shepard bleeding from the shallow cut across her brow and bridge of her nose, bruise already starting to form and swell around it. Shepard knew she wasn't gonna hear the end of it from Dr. Chakwas

"Ha! This human female is more krogan than you Uvvenk. Get out of my face." He said, waving the krogan off in dismissal.

With that out of the way, Grunt and Shepard headed back to the Normandy so she could get patched up. Dr. Chakwas made a humorous comment on Sheprd 'breaking' her face on another krogan but it was easy enough to stitch up. Once she was patched up, Sheprd called up Jack, Samara, and Garrus to help out with Grunt's rite. She wasn't sure what to expect but the tales Wrex had told her years ago made her cautious. When they returned to Wrex, he directed them towards one of the rovers that would take them to the site, wishing them luck.

* * *

"Commander look out!" Samara called.

Shepard turned too late as the varren lunged on her, sending them tumbling down the short flight of stairs. Claws ripped through her lightened armor and bit into flesh, painting the dusty ground with crimson blood. She could feel sharp pain in her right calf where the varren had cut through and now its sharp teeth were trying to snap down on her but she kicked it away. Grunt came barreling through with a massive cry, grabbing the varren in his arms and practically hugging it to death, an audible 'snap' greeting her ears as the varren let out a rattle whine and went limp, the krogan tossing it aside before helping her up.

"You alright Shepard?" He asked, looking at the bleeding wound on her leg.

"Just a few scratches, but I'll live once I slap some medi-gel on." Laura replied, already pulling an applicator off her belt and covering her injury.

Urz, the varren she befriended earlier, nosed his way closer, attempting to tend to her wounds but she pushed him away so she could get the medi-gel on. Once her wounds were covered, she got to her feet. There were dead varren all over the place but they were far from finished. Everyone else was fine, so they set up the Keystone a second time. Laura found this krogan 'tradition' a bit weird but it was rather fitting of the species… plus, Grunt and Jack seemed to be enjoying having things to murder at their leisure. When the Keystone hit the ground, the shake still sent her off balance. Instead of varren this time, it summoned the fire-breathing Klixen. The arena was so small, it was difficult to use her sniper rifle, which annoyed Shepard to no end. Between Samara and Jack's biotics, however, they were easily kept at bay and dispatched. When things calmed, Shepard found herself a bit out of breath.

"Gotta hit the Keystone one more time Shepard." Grunt reminded her, grinning with eagerness, varren blood splashed across his armor.

"Gimme a sec Grunt. Need to catch my breath." Shepard grumbled, sweaty and a bit flush.

"You're getting old Shepard." Jack teased.

"Almost done Laura. Hang in there and then we can go celebrate with some drinks with Wrex." Garrus said hopefully.

"I don't think you want to go drinking with Wrex, Garrus."

Once she was recovered, she went to the Keystone control again and hit the button. She watched as the stone rose up high, amazed that this contraption still worked, considering all the desolation around it. The ground shook as the Keystone struck but it remained quiet for a while. Shepard glanced at Samara and Jack but they both seemed confused too. Maybe the rite was over and they could head back, but the hatch was still closed. Suddenly the ground started to shake and strange, fleshy… well, things burst out of the ground in front of them. None of them had any idea what it could be… maybe a native creature to Tuchunka?

"Let's get this finished!" Grunt cheered, firing off at one of the fleshy tendrils before anyone could give him any warning.

They suddenly all darted back under ground and something much larger and much more familiar came howling out of the debris. Shepard couldn't help but stare at it as the Thresher Maw erupted from the ground in all its fury.

"Finally! A worth opponent!" Grunt shouted with glee.

Everyone scattered for cover as the Thresher Maw's arms cam down and it screamed in challenge. Shepard's heart was hammering against her rips as panic gripped at her. She hated these things but she feared them more. They could lay waste to an entire army… how the hell were the four of them supposed to survive, let alone kill it?

"Shepard! Are you alright?" Garrus called, ducked behind a thick piece of concrete and rebar about five feet way from Shepard while Jack and Grunt were keeping the Thresher Maw distracted.

"No! I am NOT ok! Fucking Christ!" Shepard shouted back, clutching her assault rifle to her chest tightly.

"We gotta do something!" Jack shouted, acid rolling off her biotic barrier.

Taking a deep breath, Shepard rolled out of cover and aimed for one of the Thresher Maw's long, powerful front legs with the Collector laser she had stolen from the ship. The laser had no kick to it at all but the sound it made was grating in her ear. Despite the strength of the weapon, the Thresher Maw's hide was much tougher and it simply attracted its attention to her.

"Shit!"

She scrambled out of the way as it swung, destroying the flimsy scaffoldings in the arena. A piece of debris struck her on the side of the head, knocking her to the ground. The world spun in and out of focus as she tried to recover. She could hear her squad mates yelling… wait, was it her squad? The voices were familiar but different and where she once felt stone, she felt warm sand. Shepard slowly sat up, her vision still swimming but she realized it was flickering between memories and what was happening right now. The only constant was the Thresher Maw, screaming and thrashing about. One second she saw her men dying befor her, the next she saw her squad struggling to fight back.

No… it couldn't claim more… she couldn't stand here and watch. If anyone was going to die to this beast, it would be her. It wasn't going to take any more of her team. Never again.

Shepard screamed and waved her arms at it, trying to be as loud as possible. The Thresher Maw turned its quivering mouth towards her, but it was mostly because Grunt had joined her in diverting its attention. Grunt's bellowing had nearly blown out her left ear drum.

"What are you doing?" She demanded of Grunt.

"I'm not letting you hog all the glory, Shepard! Here it comes!" He roared in glee, shotgun in hand.

It was too late to argue as the Thresher Maw tunneled underground and lunged at them, fully intent on devouring them. Garrus, Samara, and Jack were too far away to do anything and could only watch helpless as the Thresher Maw's mouth slammed over them. A few strained seconds later and its whole head just exploded… or at least part of it did. The Thersher Maw made a dying scream as it reared back, the rest of its 'head' suddenly flying off with the momentum and landing… somewhere else. Shepard and Grunt were standing where they had been, relatively unharmed but it was hard to tell with all the gore they were covered in. Grunt was laughing happily, clapping Shepard on the back. The human looked traumatized, shaking a bit as she tried to understand that she was actually alive.

"Shepard! Are you ok?!" Garrus called, rushing to her.

Urz had beaten the turian there and was attempting to lick the blood and bits of flesh off her legs.

"Did… did… Did that seriously just fucking happen?" Shepard stammered, trying to wipe the blood off her face unsuccessfully.

"Seems so. Congratulations, we just wated a fucking Thresher Maw… and you smell awful by the way Commander." Jack replied, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"It's going to take a month to get Thresher Maw out of my hair… ugh. This is really disgusting. I think the smell is going to kill me." Shepard gagged as she finally noticed the stench hanging around her and Grunt.

However, the trip back wasn't without some more krogan idiocy to bar their way. Uvenk, seeing Grunt's strength, tried to insult and bargain with them. Their reply, of course, was to shoot them all dead, though Uvenk was a tough kill. Exhausted, injured, and a couple of the team needing to be hosed down, they headed back to Wrex's base. However, Shepard didn't quite walk all the way there. After the encounter of Uvenk, she had lost so much blood and taken a few bad knocks to the skull, she ended up passing out shortly after.

* * *

When Laura woke, she found herself staring up at the blank white ceiling of the Normandy's med-bay. Her whole body felt numb and sore. She squinted as her eyes tried to adjust to the harsh lighting. She caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye and turned her head to see Mordin was tending to the display near her head.

"M-mordin?" She croaked out, mouth dry and throat sore.

"Ah, Commander, you are awake. Dr. Chakwas was starting to grow concerned." The salarian greeted her.

"H-how… did I…"

"Samara carried you back after you collapsed. You are lucky. You had a concussion and you broke several bones during the Rite and your conflict with Uvenk. You also had injuries from helping me find Maelon." Mordin replied to her, running a scanner over her chest.

"Great… at least I am… cough, breathing." Shepard sighed, closing her eyes again.

"Yes. None of your broken ribs punctured your lungs."

And everyone else?" She asked.

"Everyone else is fine." Mordin replied, humming lightly as he worked.

Shepard laid there, staring up at the ceiling, as she thought about what had transpired. Facing a Thresher Maw, LIVING through the encounter almost unscathed and slaying it… never in her lifetime would she have dreamed of a feat. She could picture Wrex doing it but her? The idea was comedic but it had happened. The impossible, yet again, had become reality. She laughed, a coarse, rough sound that made her chest ache and gave Mordin pause.

"Are you alright Commander?"

"I am… fine. More than fine… Are you angry with me, Mordin? About Maelon… ugh, and the genophage?" She replied, giving him a question in return despite the soreness running through her entire body.

"No. You have given me much to think about Shepard. At the time, the genophage was the necessary answer to contain the krogan… but perhaps it is time that was changed." Mordin told her with a smile.

"Good. I think I'm gonna sleep now." She yawned, feeling the sedatives suddenly get stronger.

Mordin simply smiled at her as she went back to sleep.


	28. A Dangerous Game

_I apologize, yet again, for the SUPER LONG WAIT. I went back and revised all the chapters so I'd recommend, if you have the time, to go back and give them a fresh read. Everything will flow a bit differently now as we move forward but thank you for the comments, critiques, favs, and continued views. I greatly appreciate them all._

_Due to regrettable time-restraints, I'm down to 1 chapter updates right now but I'll make them as frequently as I am able to._

* * *

Aria cocked a brow when she saw Shepard come up on her divan, surprised the human was not in her armor. Shepard decided to forgo the jacket to her outfit, though it was more for the fact she didn't like how it rubbed against the new ink on her left arm. After a drunken conversation with Jack on the ship about tattoos and what happened on Tuchunka, she had gone through with getting a half-sleeve of a thresher maw to compliment the claw marks that scarred over on her arm. Getting it done in one sitting, however, had been a very poor descision on her part.

"Like the new threads, Shepard. You look less like a military stooge." Aria joked, offering her a seat.

"Thanks. You know why I came here." Shepard said, refusing the seat.

"Ya… pretty big ass favor you asked of me but she's made her home here. This girl turned up dead a week ago, a young sculptor named Nef. I had my men nose around, I sent you the details and where she lived. Shame… girl looked like she had promise." Aria said, looking unphased about the matter.

"I appreciate it. Curious… why haven't you gotten rid of her yourself?" Shepard asked, looking over the message in question on her omni-tool.

"She hasn't tried to fuck me. Good luck with your hunt Shepard. Be careful you don't turn into the prey… I kinda like you. Plus, you owe me." Aria told her with a smirk.

"You want me to owe you two favors?" Shepard replied with her own smile.

"I'm not covering your ass."

"No. I can handle this myself. It's something you said the last time we spoke, about how Cerberus was nosing around here a couple years ago. You said there was a drell and an asari. Do you know who the asari was?" She asked.

"I do… Dr. Liara T'Soni." Aria sneered at her.

"That's two favors you have on me, Aria. Try not to let it go to your head." Shepard said to her before leaving Afterlife.

She met up with Samara near the entrance to the market. Together, they went to Nef's home to find her grieving mother. Shepard had never really had to deal with grieving people before but she kept her patience and convinced the woman to let them look around. She found Nef's diary logs and listening to them was painful. Samara commented on how Morinth chose her victims, drawn to artists and people of intrigue. Shepard noted some key things that gave clues to where Morinth may hunt. After they finished, Shepard apologized and thanked the poor woman.

"Samara, Morinth likely has a hide-out nearby. I think she uses the VIP lounge of Afterlife to pick her targets. That's how she found Nef… poor girl. Getting to her isn't going to be easy." Shepard sighed, still trying to wrap her head around this.

"Morinth is clever but each kill she's made, she becomes stronger and more addicted. She's beyond helping but she may pick another target tonight."

"Then, if she's already hunting, let's give her a target. I think I can lure her out." Shepard offered.

"Commander, I couldn't ask that of you. You'd be putting yourself at great risk." Samara replied, surprised by her suggestion.

"It's the only way you'll get to her without her slipping away. I'll go ahead to the VIP lounge, see if I can attract her attention. With luck, you can tail us back to her place and corner her. Then, we can end this once and for all."

With the plan decide, Shepard headed up to the VIP lounge while Samara found somewhere out of sight to sit and wait. Shepard had no idea what to expect but Samara had given her an idea on what Morinth was like and Nef's journal had given good clues on what would grab the asari's attention. Still, Shepard hadn't hunted a mark like this before and she knew Morinth would be hunting as well. This was going to be a dangerous game.

After giving the password to the doorman, Shepard found herself inside. It was a bit different from the main part of the club but she could still feel the music drumming through the floor. Shepard glanced around but she didn't notice anyone out of place. She ran her fingers through her hair and approached the dance floor but was stopped by a very eager man looking for tickets to a band called Expel 10. Shepard told him off before continuing her trek. She did a lap around the entire lounge to get her bearings and observing what opportunities were available and be best for drawing Morinth to her. Towards the end of her walk around, she heard a krogan talking quite loudly, getting louder when she came within earshot.

He was bashing humans and he had the gall to turn his rant on her specifically when he noticed she had her attention. After some heated words, Shepard was barely keeping herself rom attempting to head-butt him. No need to knock herself unconscious.

"You've got a fat mouth, you over-grown frog. Care to take this outside and put your quad where your mouth is?" Shepard challenged, arms crossed over her chest.

"Damn right I will. I'll ground your stupid ass into dust." The krogan growled back as they both went out the side exit.

However, the krogan was just all talk after she stared him down, daring the creature to take a swing at her. He slinked off, pride wounded and Shepard went back inside and headed for the bar. She could feel someone watching her but didn't dare trying to find the source of the odd feeling, least she scare them off. She called over the bartender, and after some bravado and sweet-talk, she got the next round of drinks on the house. The mood shifted slightly, becoming lighter and she definitely knew someone was watching her now. Shepard dared to guess it was Morinth but she needed the asari to come to her for the trap to work. She noticed a couple of shady turians sitting in a dark corner, plotting. She smirked and decided to go rain on their parade. She over-heard them plotting to mug people to make some credits for the evening… to get someone off their backs.

Their 'conversation' turned into a scuffle that Shepard won, though they managed to draw blood by busting her lip a little. Still, she had worse and the two turians left in a hurry with their proverbial tails tucked between their legs. Shepard was gonna head to the bathroom to clean up when someone stepped in her way from the shadow. She looked up to find herself face to face with an asari, her facial features much like Samara's but a darker, preadator tone to the way she smiled.

"Can I help you?" Shepard asked, a bit stricken by the asari's beauty.

"You've turned a rather dull night into an interesting one. Would you like to join me?" She asked, voice soft but laced with something else that was ensnaring.

Shepard swallowed, having not expected for Morinth to catch her off-guard like that. She followed the woman to her table, sitting across from her. She felt more comfortable with some distance between her and Morinth. She had to remember not to give away she was working with Samara, else Morinth would run to ground… or kill her. Whichever she felt would help her survival.

Morinth's attention seemed drawn to Shepard's rather violent displays but they talked about several things. Shepard used what she had learned from Nef to lead the conversation, though mentioning Vaenia was a personal taste of her own. The conversation turned to travel and drugs, both Shepard was acquainted with as well. The more she talked, the more interested Morinth seemed to grow in her… and, if Shepard was being honest, she was developing an interest in Morinth

"So… the tattoo and the scars. How did you get those?" Morinth asked, looking at her arm.

"These? Oh, the tattoo's recent actually. I was on Tuchunka… Thresher Maw hunting. The scars are from the varren we ran into. Figured since I couldn't mount its head on my ship, some ink would suffice instead, commemorating the kill." Shepard said.

"How exciting. Thresher Maws are truly dangerous creatures. Killing one is truly amazing." The asari said, licking her lips, an intense look on her face.

Shepard tensed a little when Morinth slid closer to her, one arm around the back of the chair and leaning in close. The way the asari looked at her, fingers toying with the ends of her hair, the seductive purr of her voice… Shepard found a hard time focusing on what she was supposed to be doing.

"I want you to myself tonight. Let's go to my apartment." Morinth said, getting up from the table.

Numbly, Shepard followed after her. It felt like she was in a bit of a daze but once out of the club, she was able to think clearly. She had to force herself not to look for Samara… she trusted the justicar to follow and ensure that Morinth didn't kill her. As she thought, Morinth's home wasn't far but she wasn't in any hurry to get there. She yanked Shepard into a side alley, forcing her against the wall and kissing her. It wasn't gentle or loving, but full of primal desire and hungry need. Shepard had to fight herself to keep from succumbing to it but god damn was it tempting as she reciprocated the action, sore lips left bruised and face flush. Morinth just smirked as she continued to lead her home.

They got there, eventually, and the place was eerily quiet but Morinth liked the silence. Shepard looked around while the asari waited for her on the couch, watching the human hungrily. The pill bottle drew her attention, trying to stall as long as possible to ensure Samara was in position. She'd have no way of knowing, only a hunch.

"Hallex?" Shepard asked, recognizing the pink color.

"Yes… but that's not for tonight. I'd like your senses sharp for what I have planned." Morinth purred, gesturing her over to the couch.

Shepard followed and sat down beside her, Morinth's fingers in her hair again. God damn herself for liking her scalp stroked but she had to keep focused. Morinth was dangerous and if she got under her skin… well, Shepard didn't want to find out just how an Ardat-Yakshi meld felt. However, she wasn't going to get much choice in the matter as the asari's eyes went back and she could feel her spine tingle as the asari leaned close, starting the meld. It was so tempting… the desire to feel that connection again suddenly flared strongly in Shepard and at that instant, she thought of Liara and it steeled her resolve immediately.

"I wasn't the one interested in you tonight." Shepard said, resisting the feeling crawling up her spine.

Morinth blinked, confused by her resistance but a moment later, Samara made her entrance. Shepard nearly got caught in the middle of the biotics that went flying but the fight came to stalemate fast. Morinth tried to bargain with Shepard but she didn't want that… creature anywhere near her crew. She gave Samara the opportunity shee needed by distracting Morinth for a few precious seconds and then it was over.

They returned to the ship in silence and then went their separate ways. Shepard at in her quarters, still a bit stunned by how close she had come to falling under Morinth's spell. If she hadn't thought of Liara at that moment… would Morinth had turned her against Samara? Would she have suffered the same fate as Nef? She became paranoid and anxious and sought out the one person who could help give her answers.

Samara, as usually, was sitting down, meditating. She seemed as calm as she always did. Shepard glanced out the window, noting the stars and endless expanse of space before them… but she quickly turned her attention back to the justicar.

"Samara. Do you have a moment to talk?" She asked nervously.

"For you Commander, always. I must thank you again for help with Morinth. It is a great weight lifted from my shoulders." Samara replied, getting to her feet.

"I'm glad we stopped her. It was terrible to think that she did that to so many… it almost happened to me. I mean, maybe it's because I've been through a mating meld before but as soon as I felt her try, I had this overwhelming desire to at first." Shepard admitted, running her fingers through her hair and looking at the floor.

"Morinth has that power over people. She is able to make her victims extremely receptive to the proposition without realizing or acknowledging the danger. You did not slip into that, of which I am glad of." Samara told her, walking with her to the window.

"Ya… guess I have Liara to thank for that close call. If I hadn't thought of her… I don't want to think about it. It's over now." Shepard sighed.

"Liara means a great deal to you. It is astonishing to see a human who has been touched by a mating meld so deeply." The justicar observed with a faint smile.

"Astonishing? Don't encounter many humans who've paired with asari before?"

"The mating meld, when taken seriously, is an experience one cannot put into words. Most species are frightened by it or drawn to it by curiosity. Most that experience do not understand its true meaning to them or their partner. You remind me of how I felt when I lost my bondmate. However, to answer your question, I have not encountered many humans have have experienced the meld for themselves." Samara answered her, a sad undertone to her voice.

"I see… still, it's got me thinking. Everyone suggesting I should try to mend things with Liara… but… now I don't know if I should. I mean, she had to suffer through losing me once and, eventually, she'll lose me again. Asari live a thousand years. Humans… we're lucky if we make it past two hundred. Liara would have to spend most of her life without me. Is it fair I ask her to go thorugh it all again for my sake?"

"You're asking if you are being selfish in wanting to pursue her, if I am understanding your words correctly, Commander." Samara replied to her.

"Y-ya, I guess I am." Shepard confirmed with a sheepish look.

"Yes, it is selfish but love is selfish. Something else gives you reason to ask, does it not?"

"You are quite perceptive. I had my suspcions and, at first, I didn't want to believe them but after I did some digging… Liara was the one who recovered my corpse and gave it to Cerberus. I just… don't know what to make of it." Shepard explained to her, looking at Samara with confusion in her expression.

"Commander, the best advice I could give you is listen to your heart. There is great danger coming that stems beyond the threat of the Collectors. In such times, they are faced without regrets. If you decided to spare her the possible pain of losing you again, could you bare the decision on your conciouness?" Samara asked her in return.

"I suppose I couldn't… god, this is more complicated than I ever wanted things to get. I was ready to marry her for fuck's sake. The Collectors literally picked the worst time to blow up my damn ship." Shepard growled.

"Perhaps, the reason you feel this way is because you need her to heal your wounds and, if I had to hazard a guess, she needs you to heal her own wounds. It's never too late if you're willing to try." Samara offered, giving Shepard a firm pat on the shoulder.

"Feh… I suppose you're right, Samara. I guess I'll give it my best… worst she could do is probably warp my ass out her office window, right?" She chuckled. "Seriously though, thanks Samara. I really needed to hear that from someone who knew better."

"You are quite welcome Shepard. I hope your efforts are rewarded."

* * *

_To: Laura Shepard_

_From: Hannah Shepard_

_If this really is you, when the fuck are you going to be back at the Citadel? You come back from the dead, already make one visit and DON'T bother to call me? What am I, chopped liver?_

_Kiddo, don't get yourself killed out there. I've heard the nasty rumors about the Collectors. You're fighting the good fight but I want you to come back in one piece. You're not going to cheat me out of chewing your hide out for all this shit you've pulled recently._

_I miss you… there's so many things I regret not saying to you when I had the chance. I failed at being a mother to you once and I won't squander this second chance. Come back safely._


	29. Sour Notes and Oily Shadows

_And NOW we board the derelict Reaper! This is where things start to pick up for Shepard. I will note ahead that I am running with the Indoctrination Theory woven into the story. Yes, I know it's a fan theory about the endings and some situations that occur (mostly in ME3) but I find it the most plausible aside from the dark energy theory and I understand it better. If you weren't a fan of it, then you should probably find another story because it'll play a big role._

_I was amused by some comments made months ago regarding Liara and the engagement ring. I have plans, definitely have plans. There's gonna be some major re-writes to some situations coming up. Thanks for the continued views and favs._

_I managed to eek this out before work, and I might squeeze out another chapter in the next day or so since I lucked into some down time as soon as I finished all the rewriting of the previous 27 chapters of the story. Halfway finished!_

* * *

"This… this was a terrible idea." Shepard grumbled nervously as they walked onto the ship.

The Illusive Man had come to her with an urgent message about one of his research teams going dark. They had discovered the Derelict Reaper months ago but it never occurred to them until AFTER Shepard boarded and datamined the Collector Ship that it would have the IFF they'd need to get through the Omega-4 Relay safely.

Miranda seemed a bit fascinated by the interior of the Reaper but the rest of the team was unnerved, Garrus, Tali, and Shepard even more so because they've seen a Reaper before. Shepard had never thought about what a Reaper looked like on the inside but it was so alien… and there was the atompshere that just pressed upon them. Shepard felt like the ship was still alive. Most believed the Reapers were just geth constructs but Shepard knew better. Soveriegn was very much alive and this ship, despite the massive hole that had been ripped into it millions of years ago, was still alive as well. They were not safe here.

"We figure out what happened to Dr. Chandana's team and we leave. As quickly as possible." Shepard ordered.

"This place is fucking creepy." Jack commented nervously.

Slowly, they explored the ship, following the string of Cerberus equipment. They found video logs and that's when the truth came to light. The team had been sent here to test the indoctrination effects of the Reaper. It seemed THAT part of the ship was still working. Shepard grimaced as each video showed how they all devolved into insanity.

"Shepard…" Garrus called, having scouted ahead with Kasumi.

She led the rest of the team into a massive room decorated with Dragon's Teeth. Some still had corpses turned to Husks attached to them. Shepard grimaced, remembering the first time she saw them on Eden Prime and saw them on a few of the attacked colonies as well. The Illusive Man sent these people to their deaths and for what? She glanced at Miranda, whose convictions looked a bit confused and shaken.

"He didn't send them for the IFF, he sent them for the Reaper itself. It's just dumb luck the Reaper still has a working IFF we can use." Shepard commented.

There was a skittering noise that alerted everyone but there was nothing in sight. The place was pretty dark but the thought of turning back was gone. Shepard knew they had to find the IFF and destrot the ship. She wasn't going to let the Illusive Man snag this. EDI had relayed that the Reaper's mass effect fields were also operational, which enbled the atmosphere in the ship and kept it from being pulled into Mnemosyne's atmosphere and the kinetic barriers had activated as soon as they boarded, so they needed to disable the core… essentially kill the Reaper. Shepard felt her skin crawl at the thought, whispers licking at her ears as they went deeper into the belly of the beast.

_We only know the songs passed on… of oily shadows and sour, yellow notes…_

Shepard looked around, swearing she had just heard the Rachni Queen but she was nowhere. Why would she hear her voice here and now? That sentence struck a chord but she didn't understand it… but the feeling it gave her was much like the one the Prothean visions had given her years ago. They needed to leave.

However, the Husks had other ideas as they were passing through the damaged sector of the Reaper. They were suddenly flooding out of every nook and cranny and Shepard wondered just how many people the Illusive Man had sent here to lose their minds. They had to fight their way to the Core, the Reaper likely realizing, somehow, that it was in danger.

_You couldn't save him…_

Shepard's head snapped up from the scope of _Sapphyrus_ at the voice, her own voice, as if whispered into her ear. Shaking it off, she looked down the sight again and felt her stomach suddenly twist in a knot. For a moment, she saw Kaiden across the way but in the blink of an eye, he was gone. This was the second time… something was wrong. She had never hallucinated before… well, not without the assistance of drugs anway. The voices, the sounds that weren't there and now she was seeing dead people? No… No, she couldn't be going crazy. It was the ship… the Reaper was messing with her head.

When they got to the core, they found someone had beaten them there. A Geth… which was weird, because Shepard didn't remember them finding a geth ship at all. Husks were flooding the room as the geth worked tirelessly at the console, getting the barrier curtain down before a husk suddenly jumped it and knocked it to the ground, seemingly disabeled. The fight to take out the core felt like it took forever but when it blew, the whole ship shook as the Reaper finally died, its barriers failing.

"Shepard, the geth!" Miranda called, pointing at the limp machine.

"Levae it!" Tali shouted back.

Shepard grimaced, caught between both decisions. The geth had been here before them, it had helped them get into the core and she was pretty sure it was what had sniped the Husk that had tried to ambush her earlier. Grumbling curses under her breath, she bent and picked it up, slinging it over her shoulder and ordering them to hurry. Luckily, the shuttle met them at the giant gap in the Reaper's hull and they boarded without further instance, flying clear of the Reaper as it plummeted into the planet. Shepard ordered Grunt to take the geth into the server room and have EDI start doing scans, locking it behind a barrier to so it couldn't hack the ship. Tali wanted to argue about the geth aboard but all Shepard wanted to do right now was sleep.

* * *

_She doesn't want you anymore…_

Shepard found herself being dragged across a floor, kicking and screaming but there was no sound coming from her throat. She looked up and saw she was being dragged by figures clad in armor, faces hidden by black visors.

_You failed to save Saren… Benezia… Kaiden…_

She felt herself being forced against something metal and looked around to find she was surrounded by Dragon's Teeth… that she was being pressed upon one. She screamed in silence but no matter how hard she squirmed and thrashed, the masked figures held her in place. She could feel that tortoruous humming she had heard on Eden Prime, Virmire…

_You will fall!_

Shepard woke up screaming, hands clutched against her chest where the Dragon's Tooth had impaled her. That was no dream or vision or nightmare… that had felt all too real. Her body was covered in sweat and the sheets were tangled around her legs. Her lungs ached with each gasp of air…

"Commander, are you alright?" EDI called in the darkness, turning on some of the light so Shepard could see.

"I… I'm fine, EDI. Just a… bad dream." She replied wearily, flopping back on the bed with the heels of her palms pressed over her eyes.

"Should I contact Yeoman Chambers or Dr. Chakwas?"

"No, no need to bother them. What time is it?"

"Twenty hours and fifteen minutes, Commander." EDI replied in her usually dry voice.

Only a couple hours of sleep… Shepad was awake, though not fully alert. She got up and pulled on a shirt and slack pants before leaving her quarters. Most of the ship was asleep, since EDI could maintain the systems. She wandered into the server room where the geth was. It was still inactive and Tali had been quite adamant that they should chuck it out the air lock while Miranda offered that Cerberus would pay to have it given to them. Neither option Shepard was very fond of, since this geth was… different. Considering she never really met any geth aside from ones trying to kill her, her view point was a little colored. Still, as she observed the inactive machine, she noticed it had a massive hole in its chest and its left arm had Alliance armor grafted to it with the distinctive red and white stripe of the N7 designation.

"EDI. Were you able to learn anything?" She asked the ship.

"Unfortunately, no. Its databanks are heavily encrypted and I did not wish to risk a back-hack, per your request. The damage to it, however, is quite old. I cannot determine the age of this geth unit." EDI replied.

"We could always wake it up and ask. I have a feeling… this one is different. It was on the Reaper, alone. It also saved me when it could have let a Husk rip be apart. I have questions and there's only one way to get them." Shepard said.

"Are you sure this is wise?" EDI asked.

"I doubt anything I've done up to this point was the 'smart' decision. Wake it up EDI."

Shepard watched as shocks ran through the geth unit to wake it up. The guard in the room pulled his gun but Shepard signaled him to hold as the geth rebooted and, slowly, stood up. Its single optical piece looked at her, the plates around it flexing as if… was it making expressions?

"Shepard-Commander." It greeted, staring at her.

"Uh… hi. Are you hostile?" She asked nervously.

"We have no intention of harming you or your crew, Shepard-Commander. In fact, we are interested in helping you fight the Old Machines." It replied.

The conversation she had with the geth, whom EDI dubbed 'Legion'. She learned much about the geth beyond what she knew of. Legion was special, considering he carried ten times the number of geth programs than a 'normal' platform did. It was a bit much to wrap her head around but she felt she had a mildly better insight to them and, arbitrarily, the Reapers. So, not all the geth wished to side with the Reapers but it was only a small, heretical, faction. Legion wished to help, learn, and understand. Tali was not going to like this… most of the crew wasn't but Shepard would deal with it as it happened. She left the server room and wandered into the kitchens for cup of tea.

Surprisingly, Kasumi was there with her own cup in front of her, leaning against the wall. She smiled at Shepard as she approached.

"You're up late, Laura." She noted.

"Couldn't sleep. Don't want to go back to sleep actually." She replied, hunting around the storage shelf for what she was looking for.

Oddly enough, Shepard had taken to drinking the Thessian tea Liara had back on the original Normandy. Its scent and gentle flavor were comforting. Kasumi watched her in silence until she had her cup filled.

"So, are you ready to take on the mantle of Allison Gunn?" the woman asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be. We're almost done here, just tie up these last few ends, install the IFF, and go ram the Normandy right up the Collectors' butts. Maybe we'll survive it or go out in a blaze of glory." Shepad replied with a dry laugh.

"Well, if all the upgrades are actually worth a damn, I plan on blowing up that Collector ship."

They idly chatted for a moment and then Kasumi left to finalize a few details about the heist they were about to pull. Shepard sipped her tea and sighed, the warm liquid rolling down her throat comforting. She stood there, the mess hall mostly dark. From the corner of her eye, she thought she saw movement but as soon as she turned to look, it was gone. A creepy sense of dread strated to crawl down her spine, skin turning to gooseflesh.

_Oily shadows… pluck the strings and the other listens…_

Shepard scowled, the whispers of the Rachni Queen in her ear. She had never heard voices before… maybe she needed to talk to Dr. Chakwas about it. Was it related to her past condition or was this some kind of delayed side-effect from the Lazarus Project? Why now? Shepad had suspicions about what was going on but those thoughts chilled her to the bone.

* * *

_From: [Redacted]_

_To: [Redacted]_

_We will be arriving soon, so be prepared to move Oriana and her family. I trust you to take care of covering the trail. We will be there for support in case of complications from him._


	30. Heal Our Wounds

_And, another reunion chapter. We're getting to the point where we're near the apex of ME2, then it goes into LotSB, and finally, ME3!_

_This is a pretty Liara focused chapter and pretty non-canon to the game. Stuff starts getting non-canon from here on. Enjoy!_

* * *

"At least she's safe. That's all that matters." Miranda said, watching Oriana and her family through the crowd as they waited for the next shuttle.

"You really care about her Miranda. Why not go talk to her? I'm sure she'd like to know she's got a big sister looking out for her." Shepard suggested, noticing the longing look on the woman's face.

"No… it's better this way."

"Bull. Miranda… go talk to her. Let her know she's got someone else in this galaxy who is willing to put her life on the line to protect her. You don't, you'll regret it. Don't put yourself thorugh what I'm going through." She told her, giving Miranda a gentle push as she took a step back.

Shepard didn't give Miranda a chance to protest as she headed to the elevator and waited. She watched from a distance as Miranda approached Oriana and her parents. She chuckled, amaused by the flustered look on Miranda's face as she made introductions. Oriana seemed pleased and a bit smug… Shepard suspected the girl was much cleverer than Miranda was willing to admit. When the call came for the flight, Miranda said her goodbys and even hugged her sister before coming back to the elevator. There was a lightness to her steps and smile on her face.

"Better?" Shepard asked with a soft chuckle.

"Yes." Miranda replied, obviously pleased.

As they took the elevator back up to Illium, Miranda noticed the dark scowl on Shepard's face as she was looking at her omni-tool. She knew of the messages shared between her and Liara, the Commander planning on meeting her at her apartment instead of the asari's office. Spending time with the human, someone she found she was intrigued by and jealous of, her perspective on a few things had changed. Shepad, who showed nothing but contempt for Cerberus and its purpose, despite the rough exterior and hostile attitude, was soft at heart and she cared for all of them as if they were her own. She had been amazed how the human had influenced Jack's attitude, calmed Grunt and became something akin to a mother to him, how she warmed up to EDI and put faith in a geth… nothing she knew about this woman from her past and all the information she had collected during the Lazarus Project would have led her to believe this woman would turn out this way or have this kind of affect on her and the others. She was quite proud to be involved.

"Shepard, I do have to admit something. About how we gained your body." Miranda said, breaking the silence.

"You mean, how the Illusive Man manipulated Liara into retrieving it for you guys? I figured it out… eventually." Shepard replied.

"I figured you find out through her or some other means. I should have said something sooner but felt it was… distracting. I see that I'm wrong." The dark-haired woman replied.

"I don't blame you. If you had told me right then and there, I probably would have lost it, or simply not believed you. I still have a hard time believing it but I can understand why. She was grieving, not thinking rationally, easy to give her something to hope for. I've done it enough times." Shepard sighed.

"You plan on going to talk to her still?"

"That seems like a needless question, considering I know you read all my mail… but yes, I'm going to go see her but not to really talk… well, maybe to just get a straight answer out of her." Shepard said nervously.

"Despite her bravado, I share the same opinion as Garrus and Tali do on the matter. Liara still loves you and she probably feels responsible for all of this. Give her another chance… she gave you one." Miranda said as the elevator stopped and they both stepped off and went their separate ways.

Shepard had thought of going to the Normandy to change out of her armor, still sweaty and smelling of gunfire and metal but she didn't plan on staying. She was just going to ask Liara a question, give her the Collector data, and just leave. At least, that's what she had planned on.

* * *

Liara had been a nervous wreck since she got word the Normandy had arrived. Like before, she waived their docking fees but Shepard had other matters to attend to first, so she was made to wait. Liara had tried on a dozen different outfits, finally settling on a simple white dress with an open back and plunging neckline. She wasn't sure why she was doing this, Shepard was simply dropping something off.

The asari jumped when she heard the doorbell and immediately checked the cam feeds at her desk to see Shepard standing there in her armor. It wasn't as bulky as it had been in her last visit. She has slimmed down and she noticed a hood hanging off the back of her neck. The scarring on her face had nearly healed but there was still an eerie glow to it. Trying to control her nerves, Liara took a deep breath and went to answer the door.

"Hey." Shepard greeted shyly when the door opened.

"Laura. Please, come in." Liara replied, stepping aside to invite her in.

The human walked inside, observing the interior of Liara's apartment. She hadn't expected to see so many Prothean artifacts but she couldn't help the small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. Despite her hardened attitude, Liara couldn't give up what she loved. However, as Shepard walked deeper into the apartment, she saw the 'unique' piece of the asari's collection. Liara swallowed nervously as Shepard approached the case near the alcove she had turned into her office. On display, behind glass, was the remains of the chest plate of her original armor, rended by the explosion that consumed the Normandy, melted by Alchera's atmosphere, and crushed by hitting the plaent's frozen surface. Shepard was quite stunned to see it.

"Would… you like some wine?" Liara offered, having retrieved a bottle and a couple of glasses.

"Sure. I think I'm going to need a drink." Shepard replied without looking at her, a gloved hand gently resting against the glass.

Liara moved to the lounge and set both glasses on the table before popping the cork and pouring drinks. Shepard tore herself away from the glass case and sat down across from Liara, the table between them. Liara stood and nudged a filled glass towards her and the human leaned forward to pick it up. Her gloved fingertips brushed against her hand for a moment before Shepard slid the glass to her side of the coffee table. Liara watched the human with concern, her expression constantly shifting between confusion and anger it looked like. The asari cleared her throat before lounging back on the couch, smoothing out her dress a little.

"So… what did you have for me, Laura?" She asked.

"Huh? Oh, right. The reason why I came." Sheaprd grunted, leaning forward to reach the hidden compartment on her lower back she used to carry sensitive information.

The disk she pulled out, she placed on the coffee table before sliding it across to Liara. The asari glanced at it curiously, noticing there was no labels on it.

"What is it?" She asked, leaving it there.

"We found the Protheans… what's left of them anyway. The Reapears repurposed them, like they do humans. That's what a Collector is, a repurposed Prothean." Shepard replied, taking a big gulp of wine and wincing at the sour flavor. She never understood the appeal of wine.

"Goddess… are you sure?" Liara asked, eyes widened in horror at the thought.

"EDI verified and traced the strain of DNA from a Collector we found on their ship." Shepard replied, finishing her glass and setting it on the coffee table with a loud 'clink'.

Panic gripped Liara when the human stood and started to walk towards the door but she didn't know what she could say to make her stop. However, nothing needed to be said when the red-head paused half-way and turned slightly so she could look back at the asari, her expression an amalgamation of pani, confusion, and anger.

"Liara… I just want the truth. Is there… is there truly no hope of us ever salvaging our relationship? Do you… no longer love me?" Shepard asked, her voice strained.

There it was, the crossroad Liara had been dreading. Their first encounter had left her answer pretty ambiguous but she figured she'd have to answer for it eventually. Shepard was staring at her, waiting for an answer. Liara seemed so calm but she was conflicted. Now, she could either completely break Shepard's heart and keep the woman away forever or… or admit the truth she had been denying since the rumors of the Commander's revival started. Liara couldn't deny how the human made her feel… those nights together, their conversations… everything that had happened between them had left its mark.

Liara got up and walked over to her desk to pick something up before walking to Shepad. The human noticed the asari had something clenched in her right hand. Her expression turned to startlement when Liara opened her hand, holding out her mother's engagement ring in her palm.

"Where did you get that?" She asked as Liara pressed it into her hand, though did let go.

"Your mother gave it to me years ago. I… I'm so sorry Shepard. What I said earlier, when we first met I was scared… Scared of so many things I couldn't believe the one thing I wanted most, more than rescuing Feron, more than making the Shadow Broker pay, was getting you back… and what did I do? I pushed you away when you needed me." Liara sighed, eyes focused on the N7 logo on Shepard's chestplate.

"You met my mother? Wow… I never expected her to even let me have this, let alone give it to you. Why did she give it to you?" Shepard said, gently pulling her hand free from Liara's grasp and looking at the ring.

"She said it would help me heal… a promise of what you wanted for us." Liara replied, her voice a whisper.

"Ya… a promise I didn't even get the chance to make. Liara… I understand why you pushed me away. Hell, maybe it would have happened eventually if the Collectors hadn't ambushed us at Alchera. I mean, human life spans are nothing to asari. You'd have had to watch me grow old or succumb to some incurable disease. I'd have left you alone eventually." Shepard said, voice full of sorrow as she took a step back and turned, heading back to the lounge and refilling her wine glass.

"I love you!" the asari called out, making Shepard pause mid-stride.

When the human turned back to her, the expression on her face was one of astonishment, jaw slack and eyes wide. Liara felt a flush creeping across her face and smiled awkwardly.

"I can't keeping lying to myself… or to you, Laura. I never stopped loving you. I… I held on to the ring, the armor… because I feared of moving on. I feared trying to love someone else again but here you are, before me like a dream… my wildest wish come true."

Shepard felt her heart leap into her throat. The look in the asari's eyes, filled with pure adoration but a nervousness as well that gave her pause. Liara looked away for a moment, bottom lip caught under her teeth.

"I… also feared you would not love the woman I've become. I'm not your naive archaeologist anymore, Laura. My grief, the Shadow Broker… it changed me." Liara sighed.

"It hardened you, it happens to us all at some point. Liara, I don't care if you really do flay people alive with your mind but you haven't changed as much as you think. In some way, you're still that naïve arcahealogist who gets trapped in old barrier fields." Shepard teased, a smile coming to her face.

Liara chuckled, looking back at her and the gloomy expression gone frome her face. Shepard liked seeing the asari smile, since it did funny things to her blood pressure. A quirky smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she crossed the space between them. Liara made a soft sigh as she felt the human's gloved hand cup her cheek gently, thumb tracing the arch of her cheekbone.

"Does this mean…" Shepard asked suggestively, breath catching in her throat.

"Only if you'll have me, Commnder." Liara replied with a coy smile as she stepped back, hooking her thumbs under her dress and pulling it off her shoulder.

Shepard choked on air as the white dress fell like a curtain, revealing familiar blue flesh. Liara hadn't changed much, though she had much more lean muscle tone than before. Her mouth felt dry and all the blood in her body had suddenly decided to head south. Despite her blush, Liara chuckled coyly and turned from her, heading upstairs to her open bedroom. She paused half-way, noticing the human still standing there in a daze.

"Are you going to join me upstairs, my love?"

Liara continued to walk up the stairs, only stopping at the top when she heard a loud 'thud' and turned to find Shepard had tripped up the stairs. She couldn't help but laugh at the human's clumsiness as she went to the bed, hearing her light footfalls make the last few steps of the journey and the human was standing there. Shepard was trying not to pant but her heart was racing out of control right now. She hadn't thought the encounter would ever go like this except in late-night fantasies born of unsatisfied and frustrated desire.

"Liara… are you sure about this?" Shepard asked, her voice strained and husky.

"I haven't been more sure of anything. I've missed you so much… we shouldn't squander this opportunity, right?" Liara purred, standing there with one knee up on the bed.

Shepard found herself having a hrd time thinking while staring at Liara's blue, nude body. Starving lust clawed at her resolve, urging her to do everything she wanted and more to this woman, her sapphire. But still she hesitated, one thing still unresolved for her.

"Liara… I can't promise you that I'll come back from beyond the Omega-4 Relay… I can't promise the Reapers won't destroy everything. I…" She started but her lips were silenced when Liara hurried to her and pressed her mouth to shut her up.

"I don't care. As long as I have you, for however long I have you for, Laura… I will cherish ever moment together just as I have before we jumped through the Mu Relay. Now, are you going to get out of this armor or am I going to have to rip it off you?" Liara interrupted, brows arching in a questioning manner

"Um… I'll… I'll get undressed." Shepard stammered, her brain still in a state of shock, fingers fumbling with the clasps on her new suit, hands shaking.

Liara made a frustrated noise after watching the human flounder with her own outfit. Though the suit was new, she noticed it was a modified version of her previous armor. The latches were all still in the right place but the pieces were now part of the suit… which put the zipper along her back. She felt the human tense as she moved behind her and pulled the zipper down. A small gasp left her throat as she revealed the scarred skin over her spine. Though the rest of her surgical scars had pretty much closed up, aside from the long one on the right side of her jaw, the one on her back remained. It wasn't as vivid as it had been before but it was permanent. Liara could see the orange glow of cybernetics in a few places and reached out to touch it. The human sucked in a breath and flinched way from her, just like she had when Shepard had her original burn scars.

"Is this from the Collectors?" Liara asked.

"No… the Lazarus Project. It's the only one that wouldn't heal completely. I know you were fond of the old one but this one's not a bad replacement." Shepard joked as she started to peel herself out of it.

Liara watched the human pull the suit off like a second skin, revealing toned muscle but it was the tattoos that caught her attention. The Thresher Maw on her upper left, 'cut' through by the scarred claw marks on it. Liara recognized the mark of Clan Urdnot incorporated in the design, up where the Thersher Maw's head was. She gave the human a quizzical look.

"Tattoos? These are new." Liara noted, immediately hunting for more on the human's creamy skin.

"Jack convinced me to get the one on my arm, so I figured why stop? Commeorate the important moments. I was going to get another if we come back from the Omega Relay alive." Shepard chuckled, enjoying the asari's inspection.

Liara's eyes fell upon a second marking, right above the human's left breast. It was stylized feathered wing with asari script cleverly worked into the pattern of the feathers, though noticeable if one looked carefully enough. Liara felt her heart jump when she realized that the script read 'Little Wing'. She looked up at Shepard with awe as she gently traced her fingers over it.

"What can I say? I'm crazy about you… though I figured tattooing your name would be a bit tasteless so I went with something that had a little more meaning… and ambigious to others." Shepard replied, shivering under the asari's touch.

"Oh Laura… you never cease to surprise me." Liara said with a happy smile, looping her arms around Shepard's neck and drawing her down to kiss her.

The feel of skin on skin ignited desire long buried in both of them and neither wanted to be separated from the other. They tumbled onto the bed, Liara twisting them so she landed on top of the human. They crawled back a bit at the same time Liara tried to get Shepard out of her undergarments, the human finally fully exposed to her. Not having the burn scar, the flesh no longer marred was still something to get used to but Liara relished in it. Her Commander… she'd always think of her that way, no matter where this journey would lead them into the future. Despite the naked hunger in her eyes, the human was unusually submissive to the asari… but Liara wasn't going to protest. It actually worked well for what she had in mind; she had a lot to make up for.

Shepard gasped as Liara immediately focused attention to her neck and breasts, relearning the human's body and committing the new details to memory. The way her body twitched and writhed, a dance of desire accompanied by a string of moans and mewls from the human as Liara slipped lower, pressing kisses along her stomach as she trailed further down…

"Liara! W-what are you doing?" Shepard croaked hoarsely, lifting her head as she felt the asari's breath tickling the sensitive skin on her inner thigh.

"Giving you a reason to make it back through the relay." Liara purred, pressing a kiss that sensitive spot, eyes locked with the Commander's. The red-head groaned and her hips twitched, watching the asari so close to her core was highly arousing. That predatory look in her eyes that wasn't there before, the smug smirk on her lips… Shepard felt she was going to go insane as her lust continued to surge higher.

A high-pitched sound came from Shepard as Liara ran her tongue over her soaked entrance, remembering to pay special attention to the swollen bundle of nerves at the top. The human bucked her hips right off the bed, pressing desperately against the asari's mouth as her legs clenched and flexed around her head and shoulders. She tried to hold her as still as possible but Liara found the human was much stronger than before, her thrashing growing more desparate she teased her to that peak but stopped before she came crashing down. A few racing heartbeats passed before Shepard realized she no longer her lover against her and an annoyed and desperate sob escaped her.

"Shepard are you ok?" Liara asked, the sound alarming as she noticed the human's face seemed to be contorted in agony.

"Please don't leave me like this!" Shepard groaned, hips squirming as she contact.

"I never intended to."

Liara smiled as she crawled back up the woman's body, pressing a needy kiss against her mouth. A relieved sigh from Shepard escaped between them and she wrapped an arm around Liara, pressing the asari close to her.

"I… I need you Liara. Please… meld with me." Shepard whispered, her voice hoarse as if straining to breathe.

The desire to meld… to reconnect with her mate had been burning in the asari the moment they had first kissed. She wasn't sure how to bring it up or if even dare ask but here Shepard was, practically begging her to do it. Liara kissed her, eyes going black as she reached out for the human. They both cried out as their nerves were suddenly afire and they delved past the walls of thei conciousnesses, twisting and writhing around each other like two liquids trying to mix as they were violently shaken. Shepard felt the sharp pain of Liara's loss and sorrow, the slow-burning embers of her rage and fury against the Shadow Broker. Agony grasped Liara's chest as she felt as if she was choking on nothing, experiencing the dark, cold embrace of death only to be woken suddenly as if from a slumber. Their memories and emotions swirled together until they were no long of each other but together.

As the meld calmed, they stared into each other's eyes, both glistening with tears as they realized they had needed each other all along.

"I'm so sorry." Liara whispered, pressing tender kisses to the human's mouth, throat, and chest.

"I am too. I never want to leave you alone again." Shepard murmured, hugging her tightly.

They were at it for hours, not that any of them were paying attention to the time. Once completely spent, they laid on the bed, Liara cradled up against Shepard's side, head resting on the human's shoulder as she idly played with the ends of her hair. They were both warm and content, a small smile resting on Shepard's lips as she lazily traced the furrows along the side of Liara's neck.

"You're letting it grow out." The asari observed.

"Ya, I need a trim. Long hair gets in the way." Shepard commented, tussling her hair.

"A shame. I haven't felt this content in a long time." Liara sighed happily, winding one of her legs around Shepard's.

"Same. I'll have to thank Samara for her advice."

"And what kind of advice did the Justicar have for you, Laura?" Liara inquired with curiosity.

"That we would need each other to heal our wounds. She was right… after we melded that night, before the Mu Relay and Illos, I felt different. Better, calmer… fuck, everything's been a mess since the Collectors stuck their nose into everything." Shepard sighed.

"And the Shadow Broker. We still have our own scores to settle… though you've made much more progress than I have." Liara agreed, trying to keep her tone light.

"Feeling you again, our minds intertwined and knowing each other… it took a close brush with an Ardat-Yakshi to make me realize what it was I was missing so badly." Shepard huffed sourly.

Liara felt her move and watched as the human got up from the bed and went to retrieve her suit. She had figured it would only be a matter of time before Shepard had to leave. 'Duty calls' as she remembered the expression and a sad sigh escaped her. However, Shepard seemed to retrieve something out of one of the compartments and tossed it aside, returning to the bed. Her eyes widened when she saw the ring as Shepard sat back down on the bed, taking her left hand in her own.

"I don't know how asari go about proposing to each other but… um… Liara. Would you…"

"Yes!" Liara nearly shouted, cutting off the question.

"Oh come on, at least let me finish." Shepard laughed, slipping the ring on her ring finger.

"Sorry I just… Goddess, I think I'm going to cry." The asari replied, admiring the gold and emerald on her finger before looking up at Shepard. "So… what now?" She asked.

"Honestly, I don't know. We take it one day at a time and enjoy it. I hope we'll have the opportunity to make it official. I was thinking a ceremony on the Citadel, some hybrid of human and asari rituals… though I'd probably be the groom. Would I look good in a tux?" Shepard replied thoughtfully.

"You… you've given this quite a bit of thought, Laura." Liara observed with mild surprise and amusement.

"Maybe… crap, who'd give you away? I know asari don't have gender roles, really but… Maybe Wrex? No, he might try to throw krogan traditions in and I might have to wrestle a varren naked or something. Maybe my mother?" Shepard continued on, brow furrowed.

"Laura, slow down. Why don't we just… let it sit and deal with our respective problems first, hmm? Then we can debate what kind of tuxedo you're going to wear. You'd look quite stylish in a suit." Liara laughed, nuzzling the human's neck.

"Well, I'll probably be wearing the Alliance formal uniform, with all my medals pinned to it and shit. You're right. Collectors first, then the Shadow Broker… you sure we can't sneak in the wedding before the Reapers get here? We could just elope. Do asari even elope?" Shepard chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of Liara's head.

"I'm so glad… but you have to go, don't you?" Liara sighed sadly.

"Ya… I should probably get back to the Normandy. We still have to make a trip to the Citadel for some last minute matters and upgrades." Shepard sighed, forcing herself to move away from the asari and start retrieving her clothes.

Liara watched as the human redressed, sighing in disappointment to see that creamy skin and warm, toned body being covered up. Once the pressure had adjusted in the suit, Laura turned back to Liara and smiled, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"It may be awhile before we see each other again. I'll… try to keep an eye and ear out for anything about the Shadow Broker. Maybe something will turn up." Shepard told her.

"I hope so. Please… be careful out there." Liara said, getting up and walking towards her.

No matter how many times she saw Liara bared to her, she couldn't help her eyes going wide and her jaw muscles going limp. She swallowed as Liara ran a hand over her chestplate, a saddened look in the asari's eyes. Shepard wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, kissing Liara fully on the lips. When she pulled away, she gave Liara a look filled with desire and steely resolve.

"I can't make that promise Liara but… I can promise you this." Shepard replied, her voice low and husky again.

"And that's what?" Liara asked, breathless.

"I will fight to the last breath to come back to you."


	31. Sins

_Tying up the last few loose sends for the crew and then… well, I'd assume most of you know what's about to follow. Also, a nice little surprise for everyone :p_

_Thank you for the views, favs, follows, and reviews. I really do appreciate them._

* * *

There was barely time to rest after helping Kasumi retrieve that grey box. Breaking into the safe, mingling at the party… fighting off that attack copter… Shepard could still feel the bruises on her leg and back throbbing. Her work, however was not done. While the Normandy was getting a few more upgrades, there were Thane and Garrus's little 'problems' to deal with. Luckily, when they arrived, Sidonis's shuttle wasn't due to leave for another eight hours, leaving time to help Thane track down his son before he murdered someone. Thankfully, Captain Bailey had been a great help. He led them to a street kid named Mouse who may have seen Kolyat. After tracking him down, they learned a crim boss named Elias Kelham had hired the drell to carry out a hit. Tracking down Harkin hadn't been so easy and involved a lot of Blue Suns turning up dead in the warehouse district.

Bailey had Mr. Kelham arrested, appraising Shepard it wouldn't be long before his lawyer showed up, so they needed to make it quick. They watched the man struggle and protest through the window of the interrogation room.

"How do you want to handle this, Commander?" Thane asked, large eyes focused on her.

"Why don't you lead? Be the sensible good cop and I'll be the psychotic SPECTRE?" She chuckles darkly.

"Fair enough. We must hurry."

They both walked into the room and Elias immediately started spouting threats about 'friends in high places' and how Bailey was going to get it and all this. Thane watched Shepard pace, noticing she had pulled the combat knife from its sheath and keeping it behind her back. Then, like a varren striking, she lunged at Elias and slammed the point of the knife into the chair a fraction of an inch from his ear. He immediately shut up, eyes wide with fear.

"I really don't have the patience to listen to you bitch, Mr. Kelham. You're going to answer my questions or I'm going to start cutting…" Shepard growled, stopping when she felt Thane's hand on her shoulder.

With a silent look, Shepard snorted and pulled away, moving to a darkened corner of the room and leaning against the wall, idly playing with the tip of the knife while she watched. Elias was shaking, staring at Shepard nervously but Thane drew his attention to himself.

"You'll have to forgive her. SPECTREs are very tightly wound and her last mission left her a little… well, we don't have time to get into that. We know you hired a hit man. We're simply interested in his target." The drell said, his voice calm and friendly.

"A… A SPECTRE? I don't have anything to say to you two until my lawyer gets here." He sneered in reply, though he was visibly nervous with Shepard looking menacing in the corner.

"She really has a short temper. Just tell us who the target is and we'll be finished." Thane urged, pretending to give Shepard an equally nervous look.

Elias swallowed, looking between him and Shepard. She flashed him a very dark smirk, waving the knife in front of her face to remind him of the weapon.

"Screw you both." Elias growled, though now he was sweating.

"Fuck it. I'm taking his balls. I know a few krogan who'd pay top dollar for them on Tuchunka. I wonder if they'll grind them into a smoothie or just eat 'em raw." Shepard snickered, starting to approach Elias again.

"F-fuck! Ok! Ok, I'll tell you just don't let her near me!" Elias cried out, struggling against the bonds keeping him stuck in the chair.

Thane moved and gave Shepard a gentle push and flashed her a pleased smile. Shepard rolled her eyes, sneaking in a smirk and a wink, before retreating back to her corner. Elias spilled about the hit. He hired Kolyat to take out a turian politician named Joram Talid. They left Elias in the interrogation room, satisfied with the information and asked Bailey if they could track down the turian. He arranged for a shuttle to take him to the block he was located in.

From there, Shepard and Thane split up. Shepard took to following Talid on the catwalks while Thane remained out of sight on the ground level. She noticed the turian being escorted by a Blood Pack bodyguard and scowled. She had heard the turian was very anti-human but as she watched him harass and blackmail people, she wanted to shoot him herself. After getting through a maintence shaft with annoying worker in it, Shepard told Thane they were coming to a busy intersection but saw no sign of Koylat.

"I see him!" Thane announced over the comm.

Shepard heard a shout and noticed a drell bluish-green skin heading straight for the turian, reaching for something in his coat.

"Kolyat!" Shepard shouted, valuting over the catwalks.

Thanks to the cybernetics, her body absorbed the impact of falling nearly two stories. The drell panicked and shot, killing Talid's bodyguard instead. Startled and frightened, the turian bolted with Kolyat hot on his heels. Thane and Shepard pursued until the chase led them to the turian's private apartment. The shot had attracted attention from C-SEC and Captain Bailey met them there, officers surrounding the entire place. After some discussion, Shepard and Thane went into the apartment. Talid was on his knees before Kolyat, gun pointed at his head.

"You. What are you doing here?" the young drell spat at the sight of his father.

"Kolyat, Thane's here for you. Please, just give him a chance." Shepard pleaded before Thane could say anything.

"So now you care?! You were never there, even after mother died!" Kolyat accussed.

"You're right but this is not the path I wanted for you. Kolyat."

"You don't know a thing about me. This is what I was meant to do. This is MY path." He growled, finger starting to squeeze the trigger despite the shaking in his hand.

Shepard reacted fast, pulling her pistol and shooting the lamp just behind him. The action startled Kolyat, giving her the opportunity to grab the gun from him and toss it across the apartment, twisting his arm behind him to restrain him.

"No!" Kolyat cried in dismay.

"Listen to me… this is not a path for you. Thane is dying, Kolyat… just give him a chance to talk." Shepard growled close to where the drell's ear was.

Kolyat calmed a little and she released him. Her and Bailey left the room so they could talk in private. As they waited, Bailey gave Shepard a concerned look.

"I went digging into the archives after you left and found something interesting. There were a string of unsolved murders about ten years ago… no one of real importance, mostly scum bags and mobsters but you wouldn't know if your friend there was involved, would you?" He asked.

"I don't… but maybe there's a reason why the matter's in the archives and not on some detective's desk." She replied evasively.

Once Thane and Kolyat had finished, they all returned to C-SEC to discuss what was to happen with the young drell. He had attempted to commit murder but it seemed like Talid wasn't too interested in pursuing the matter. Though in trouble, Sheaprd convinced Bailey to allow Koylat to work community service to make up for his poor decision. Father and son had a few more moments for parting words before they headed back to the Normandy's docking bay.

"Thank you, Laura. I am glad we were able to save him." Thane said in appreciation.

"I'm glad you got to reconnect with your son. You two going to keep in touch?" She replied with a small smile.

"Yes. I know it will not fix everything but… it is a start."

They returned to the Normandy and Shepard realized she felt bone tired… but she wasn't done yet. She needed to change out of her armor and get ready to head to the docking bay where Sidonis would be waiting. Garrus met her by the air lock when she came back down, zeal and anticipation in his hawk-like eyes. They had already dealt with Harkin and his Blue Suns before she had helped Thane. She was worried about Garrus's mentality… the thirst for revenge was eating him.

"No armor?" He asked curiously, noticing she was in her civilian outfit.

"I shouldn't need it. Plus, this is enough armor. The jacket and top are bullet proof, plus I'll have my kinectic barrier with me. I can take care of myself." Shepard chuckled, running her fingers through her hair.

"That you can. He should be arriving in the next hour. I need to get set-up before that. Let's go."

* * *

Shepard entered the terminal, glancing at the time on her omni-tool, then at the display of arriving and departing shuttles. Sidonis was trying to leave the Citadel… and Garrus was in position to take his shot. She looked around for the bare-faced turian but she wasn't sure who she was looking for.

"Two rows over. I see him." Garrus said over the comm channel.

She followed his instructions and noticed a nervous looking turian sitting alone. He was constantly fidgeting and looking around. She cleared her throat and the turian nearly jumped out of his seat. She motioned him over and he approached her.

"Are you the one Harkin sent?" he asked nervously, eyes unable to focus on one thing for more than a few seconds.

"No. I'm a friend of Garrus Vakarian actually." She said

Sidonis's manidbles flared and his jaw went slack for a minute at the mention of that name. He was starting to shake and he immediately turned away from her, muttering how he needed to leave now. Shepard reached out and grabbed his shirt, yanking him to halt.

"Don't… Garrus has you in his sights and I'm the only thing between you and a bullet between the eyes." She hissed at him.

"Shepard, what are you doing?" Garrus asked, frustration lacing his voice.

"Keeping you from making a terrible life choice." Shepard hissed into her comm.

"Is that him? Oh Spirits, I knew this would happen the day I ratted them all out to those mercs. It's been eating at me since I ran. I was coward… wanting to save my own skin." Sidionis lamented, refusing to budget from the spot now.

Shepard could hear Garrus growl over the comm as she kept herself between Sidonis and the gun. It wasn't the first time she's had a sniper rifle sight on her but she trusted Garrus not to attempt killing her to sate his revenge. Sidonis wasn't some cold hearted fiend. In fact, there wasn't much left of the man Garrus hated and even less of the man he thought he had known. Paranoia and guilt had eaten him hollow as Shepard listened to his tale.

"Garrus, this isn't the man you want. Look at him… there's nothing left."

"He deserves to die for what he did!" Garrus snarled.

"And what is killing him going to do? Help you sleep at night? It's only a matter of time before you become just like he has… a shell with nothing left." Shepard retorted over the comm link.

"Nnngh… fine." Garrus huffed, the channel going dead.

Shepard waited a few moments before telling Sidonis to leave and do something with his life. He was startled that he had escaped death. He promised he'd find some way to make it up to Garrus before scurrying off. With a sigh, Shepard headed back to the shuttle to go pick the turian up. They argued for a moment but Garrus soon saw why Shepard had done it and apologized to her. With the friendship out of the danger zone, Shepard dropped Garrus off at C-SEC but she really needed to be away from the ship now… and get a good drink in her.

* * *

She sat at a table by herself in the far corner of an Alliance dive bar, a glass of whiskey and cola in front of her but untouched. She was troubled, inspecting the newest tattoo on the inner part of her right forearm. She had gotten it shortly after the mission to Alchera to place a monument with the wreckage of the Normandy. She recovered all twenty tags of the crew who did not make it, including Pressley. She had been surprised when Admiral Hackett had contacted her about the discovery but she knew she owed it to those that didn't get the second chance she had. She had also recovered her old helmet, just as damaged as the piece of chest armor Liara had in her apartment. She kept it… though for reasons she was still trying to sort out herself.

"Mind if an old woman joins you?" A familiar voice startled her out of her thoughts.

Hannah didn't wait for her daughter to confirm the question, just simply sat down across from her. Shepard had been kind of avoiding her mother, but she had been so distracted lately…

"You look good, kiddo. The ink's a nice touch." Hannah commented as she waved over a server to order herself a drink.

"How'd you find me here?" Shepard asked.

"Marco and I are very old friends. When he spotted you, he gave me a ring and told me you were here. You haven't responded to my letters so I figured I'd catch you before you hurried off to save the galaxy yet again." She replied with a shrug.

"I… I'm sorry I haven't been in touch lately. Been… distracted, to put it mildly." Shepard sighed.

"I'm not mad Laura. I'm glad I caught this opportunity to see you. I've got a lot to say and probably not much time to say it."

"Mom…"

"Don't, just let me say my piece kiddo. I know I was a terrible mother to you after you got out of the hospital. Loosing Aiden… god, I loved that man. Anyway… I just wanted to say I'm really sorry. I should have been there for you. I hope you can forgive me." Hannah continued.

"T-thanks. I… honestly, didn't expect that. I know I've got a lot to apologize for. I wasn't the greatest daughter… especially after the shit I pulled. You must be pretty ashamed of me."

"Back then? I might have been but now… now, I couldn't be more proud of you Laura. You're out there, saving the galaxy when everyone else just wants to ignore the problem. I don't care under whose banner you do it under, as long as you're doing good, I'll always be proud of you." Hannah replied with a warm smile.

Shepard stared at her mom in stunned disbelief but as her words sank in, she felt a blush creep across her face as she smiled.

"Thanks mom. I really appreciate that. This whole thing… the Collectors, Cerberus, the Reapers… it's all a mess and it's only going to get worse, especially if we don't succeed with taking the Collector's out.

"I don't envy you Laura. No one wants that kind of weight on their shoulders but you'll make it thorugh. Shepards are tough and hard to keep down, as you've proven. The Reapers have something to be scared about."

"So… wait, what do you know about the Reapers?" Shepard asked suspiciously.

"Only what Anderson's told me and that's not much. All I care to know is they are a threat that is coming for us and neither the Alliance nor the Council are doing much to get ready for it. I saw the feeds when Saren attacked the Citadel… that ship was not geth. If there are more of those things out there… we're fucked." Hannah retorted over her drink.

"Ya but… I can't change their minds. They don't want people to panic but they could, at the very least, be trying to put some kind of effort into being ready. You'd think these aliens would be better than us but… we're all just really the same."

"Ain't that the truth?" Hannah agreed, both mother and daughter finishing their drinks.

"So… when were you planning on introducing me to your girl?" Hannah mentioned slyly.

"Well, when things calmed down I was going to… maybe after I proposed to her or just before. I hadn't quite decided at the time and then the Collectors showed up.. I already know you two have made introductions." Shepard replied warily.

"Ya… wish it had been under better circumstances but gotta play the hand you're dealt. She seems like a real sweet heart, though I lost contact with her after awhile. You catch up with her lately?"

"I have. It was rough at first but we're, um… working through it." Shepard replied evasively.

"Ah… so had a fight and later had rough make-up sex, right? Everyone works their problems out differently. She's a sweet girl, I rather like her. Which leads to my next question. When can I expect you two to embrace me some grandkids?" Hannah asked with a sly grin.

"Mom! Jesus, we're on the brink of a fucking war of extinction here and you want grandkids?" Shepard asked, face burning with embarrassment.

"What? I ain't getting any younger girl, war or not. I'm at that age where I'll probably retire and have lots of time and money I can use to dote on my daughter's little girls. Don't tell me you don't want kids, Laura?"

If Shepard was gonna be honest, the thought had crossed her mind every once and awhile but she hadn't given it serious thought until now. Would Liara want kids, she wondered? Shepard never thought she was good with kids but Serah and Rebheka both liked her well enough. She pursed her lips thoughtfully as she thought of what one of her own would look like.

"Picturing whose eyes she'd have?" Hannah teased smugly.

"N-no! Well, maybe… dammit mom, I can't think about having kids right now. I'm not even sure how stable our relationship is right now. Things are pretty rocky and she's got stuff going on and I got stuff going on…" Shepard sighed.

"I know that song and dance kiddo but you two can work it out just fine. You break up with her, I'll kick your ass." Hannah warned, her voice a bit threatening.

"Thanks, that's encouraging." Shepard groaned.

"I try. I imagine I'm keeping you from your ship. You look after yourself, ok? Loosing you twice has been hard enough. I'd appreciate it if you don't keep putting me through it." Hannah said, getting to her feet.

Shepard stood up as well and immediately went to hug her mom. Hannah seemed caught off-guard but the action but she hugged her daughter back in return. After the heart-felt moment passed, the two parted. Shepard's face was a bit pink as well as Hannah's. The elder woman laughed and ruffled her daughter's hair.

"We're both burdened by our sins, kiddo but don't let it drag you under. There's still lots of work for us to do and the galaxy's got all of its eyes on you." She told her.

"Is that supposed to help me relax? Because… it's not." Shepard asked with a slight frown.

"We're Shepards kiddo. I think it runs in the blood that we do great things. Give those Collector's hell but come back alive with your people. We still have a lot of catching up to do." Hannah replied.

"That we can agree on. I'll… keep in touch mom. You look after yourself, ok? You're the only family I got left." Shepard said, patting her mom on the shoulder.

"Well, knowing your father, he probably sowed his wild oats before I got my hooks into him, so you might have some half-sibilings around." Hannah jested.

"Really mom?"


	32. Bring Them Home

_Into the Omega-4 Relay we go!_

* * *

"All systems green Commander. The IFF is properly installed and the virus scrubbed from all of my systems. Ready on your mark." EDI relayed.

Shepard stood on the command deck, looking at the galaxy map as it showed their position in relation to Omega and the Omega-4 Relay. The ship was empty, aside from her, Joker, and the team. When they had gone to deal with Legion's mission, EDI and the crew were finializing preparations with the Reaper IFF and were going to do a test. It went horribly wrong and crippled the Normandy, summoning the Collectors and enabling them to kidnap her crew before Joker unshackled EDI and the ship escaped. Shepard felt her rage boiling at the thought of what the Collectors were doing with them… hopefully, they were all still alive.

"Let's go bring out crew home." Shepard ordered.

The jump was jarring and their arrival even more so as the relay flung them into a graveyard of ships. Millions of years of attempts to traverse the relay... the perfect shield to hide the Collector's base and its permitere defenses. They outmanueverd all but one of the Oculus that had been lying in wait amongst the sea of wreckage. It burrowed into the Normandy's cargo hold and started wrecking havoc until Shepard, Grunt, Jack, and Zaeed dealt with it. Once they cleared the wreckage, they came in sight of the base.

"Commander! They're sending their ship out!" Joker announced, Shepard having joined him in the cockpit.

"Good. It's payback time. All hands on deck!" Shepard shouted, EDI opening a channel so all of the crew could hear it.

The Collector Ship was already charging up a shot as it pulled away from the base, turning faster than a ship that size should be capable of. The Normandy dodged the first shot and maneuvered around the cruiser as it strugged to keep up. The SR-2 was faster, stronger… and Shepard wasn't going to stop until that ship was in pieces.

"Let's show them our new teeth."

Both Shepard and Joker watched as the Thanix Cannons ripped into the cruiser's hull, the lights on the outside flickering from the ensuing damage. Both Joker and she cheered as the Normandy swooped in close to land the finishing blow, the ship blowing apart. However, the shrapnel sent flying sheered through one of the Normandy's engines. Alarms were going off as Shepard threw herself into a seat and buckled in, EDI announcing they were going to have a very 'rough' landing. Working together, Joker and EDI managed to land the Normandy right on the exterior of the Collector's base.

EDI did a scan of the base to map out the layout, noting that it's highly likely the Collector's don't know they landed on the abse itself as of yet. Infiltrating and finding their crew was another matter. Shepard wanted to get their people out but destroying the base itself was the main objective. They'd have to reach the central command center at the heart of the base if they'd have a chance at dealing any damage… however, only two routes were available to them and they would have to work in tandem.

"Legion will navigate the vent and get us through. I'll lead the primary team with Miranda and Jack, Garrus will lead the second fireteam."

"Aye Commander." Garrus acknowledge.

"We've stepped into hell and now its time to nut up or shut up. It's been a hell of a ride, getting to know you all… making this work but I am proud to stand with you, even when the rest of the galaxy turned its back to us. Once we're inside, they're going to throw everything they have at us. If we're weak, if we're slow, if we hesitate...then we'll _die_." Shepard started, pacing a little.

She had never been one for speeches but after looking upon the faces of her crew, of her friends, she knew she had to say something to them. There was no telling what was going to happen once they got into that base… they could all perish but if they could bring the Collector's down with them, the sacrifice was worth it though Shepard knew it would not stop their masters.

"We don't know how many the Collectors have stolen. Thousands, hundreds of thousands. It's not important. What matters is this: Not. One. More. That's what we can do here, today. It ends with us. They want to know what we're made of? I say we show them, on our terms. Let's bring our people home. The Collectors are about to find out what happens when they piss me off." Shepard finished with a note of finality.

* * *

"Shepard-Commander. The obstruction is still in the way and the vent's internal temperature is reaching dangerous levels." Legion reported over the comm, plate flexing nervously.

"I'm working on it!" Shepard shouted back, ducking her head down as a shot sent a spray of stone or whatever the hell this ship was made out of flying.

She was also getting reports from the second fire squad, already in position and holding off the Collectors on their end. Shepard peeked out and saw the control panel a dozen yards or so away. The Collectors were putting on a great deal of pressure.

"Jack! Clear a path for me!" Shepard shouted at her.

"One sec! Trying not to get my fucking head blown off!" The biotic growled at her, squeezing off a few rounds.

"Temperatures reaching critical. Hardware starting to…" Legion started to report.

"I KNOW! Jack now!" Shepard screamed in frustration as she rose and vaulted over her cover, sprinting for the control console.

A biotic shockwave ripped through the Collectors attempting to flank Shepard as she ran, Miranda picking off the ones that had escaped the blast radius. Shepard her kinetic barrier shatter and a shot graze her hip but she was there. Shepard punched in the code and the panel in the vent opened, allowing Legion to escape. She could hear Garrus confirming they were through and Legion was working on getting the door on their end open. Miranda and Jack moved forward as fast as they could, Shepard covering them until they were behind cover again. She could hear Harbinger barking orders, the glowing Collector pointing at her as the the rest surged forward. The door hissed open and they ducked inside. Legion forced the door close, a bullet barely missing his optic. Once everyone had a moment to catch their breaths, they got a good look at the room.

"Jesus christ…" Shepard breathed in stunned horror.

The walls were lined with thousands of pods similar to the ones on the Collector cruiser… though it was hard to tell how many of them were actually filled. Pipes and tubes ran from them to bigger ones, which led out of the area. Curious, Shepard approached a pod and wiped the condensation off, revealing there was a human inside. She looked asleep but a second later, she woke up screaming, banging on the glass. Blood started to bead from all over and Shepard watched as the woman, literally, melted away, leaving blood smears trailing down the clear panel, her screams silenced.

"Get these pods open! NOW!" Shepard screamed, immediately going to the next one and trying to pry it open.

With effort, they got all the pods they could reach open, discovering they had contained the missing Normandy crew. Everyone was ok… except for those they couldn't reach in time. Dr. Chakwas hugged Shepard, glad to see the woman.

"Thank god you came in time. These… these things are turning people into some kind of genetic paste. That… that would have been us…" The elderly woman stammered, visibly shaken by the realization.

"You're safe now. EDI, any idea what was… going on here?" Shepard asked over the comm.

"Unfortunately, no. Something has been thwarting my attempts to get into the station's systems. However, the tubes seem to converge in the center of the base as well." The AI reported.

"Alright. Mordin, get the crew back to the Normandy and make sure everyone's ok. Daniels, Donnely… as soon as Mordin deems you fit for duty, get on repairing the Normandy. We wrecked an engine and have a few hull breaches." Shepard ordered, the salarian nodding in confirmation to her orders.

Once the rescued crew was out of sight, Shepard led them to the next door way, only to have EDI pipe up about a mass of seeker swarms beyond. Mordin's repellant wouldn't work and they'd be eaten alive as soon as they stepped inside. There was a secondary route for a distraction team to run to keep the Collector's busy, so Shepard decided she'd take Samara, Tali, and Thane through the seeker swarms while Garrus led the rest of the team down the other route.

Shepard worried about Samara constantly during that long way, watching as the Seekers kept bouncing off the biotic barrier she had. The asari looked as if she was struggling the further and further they got. Collectors tried to ambush them several times but the forces were so small, they were able to fend them off. As they reached the ramp, they could see the exit below them. They were home free.

"Shepard… I can't hold this much longer." Samara announced, face contorted in strain.

"Let's move! Hang in there Samara." Shepard ordered, everyone immediately picking up the pace.

With the barrier flickering, the swarm converged on them but as they reached the door, Samara threw her strength into a gaint blast, destroying a good chunk of the seekers before retreating past the door, Tali and Kasumi sealing it behind them.

"Shepard! We could really use that door being opened!" Garrus called over the comm.

"Tali!" Shepard ordered, moving into position to provide cover fire.

As soon as the quarian got the doors open, Garrus's team piled in while Shepard covered them. The turian gasped and his body jerked, forcing him to stumble backwards moments before the doors were resealed. Shepard noticed him clutching at his side.

"Garrus? Shit, were you hit?" Shepard asked, hand on his shoulder.

"I'm fine, just a scratch. We better keep moving." He said, giving her a smug smile as he straightened up.

"Commander, Mordin and the crew just returned. Repairs on the Normandy are already underway but the Collectors are going to swarm your position soon. They really don't want you reaching that core." Joker commented over the comms.

"This is it. One way in… one way out. Garrus, you and everyone else are gonna have to hold the door." Shepard replied, looking at the turian.

"You're not going in there alone, are you?" He asked.

"I'm not that crazy. Miranda and Samara will have my back. The rest of you… stay alive. Don't get cocky or reckless. Once we get this place ready to blow to kingdom come, we're getting out of this god-forsaken hell hole and getting wasted." She said, addressing her squad.

"All on your tab, right Shepard?" Zaeed called.

"Why not? See you all on the other side."

* * *

To think the Reapers were made of processed organics fused with metal… the thought made her sick. All of those colonies kidnapped and melted down. Women, children… innocent people the Collectors had taken and for what? To birth a new Sovereign? Sheaprd waited for the shielding to come down on the last feeding tube. She could see all the supports straining to keep the Human Reaper up as it flailed about. Miranda and Samara continued to pick off the Collectors. Shepard had _Sapphyrus_ out, lining up the shot as chaos erupted around her. She could hear Harbinger commanding somewhere in the distance but she wasn't focused on him. The Reaper had to die… all those lost souls put to rest.

The feeding tube shattered and the Reaper made an ungodly sound that seemed to grate her to the very bone as it fell. Its hands grabbed at the platforms desperately but, ultimately, fell. Shepard let out a breath of relief as she holstered the rifle and joined up with Samara and Miranda.

"How are you holding up out there Garrus?" She called over the comm.

"So far so good but wouldn't mind if you hurried it up in there." The turian replied sarcastically.

"Will do. Almost finished here." Shepard replied.

They found what EDI had directed them towards and Miranda started preparing the device to blow when she got a hail on her omnitool. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw who it was.

"Um… Commander. The Illusive Man is hailing us." She reported, standing up.

"Now? The fuck does he want?" Shepard grumbled in surprise.

Miranda pulled up a holo and Shepard glared at him, though wasn't sure if he could actually see her, given the circumstances. His timing was oddly coincidental, but she hadn't trusted him since day one. The Illusive Man was always after some angle, some edge to further Cerberus's agenda.

"Shepard, I want you to preserve the base. We could learn so much, be better prepared for the Reapers. A radiation pulse will destroy the Collectors but leave this place intact." He told her, though it sounded more like orders.

"Preserve it? Fuck no. This place is going to be nothing but pieces. All those people… a fate worse then death and you want to keep it? Kiss my ass." Shepard replied, helping Tali finish setting up the charge.

"Miranda! Stop her!" He ordered.

"Or what? You'll replace me next? Consider this my resignation." Miranda replied, cutting off the call before he had a chance to protest further.

Shepard looked at Miranda in surprise, the woman flashing her shy smile before they concentrated on finishing the charge set. Twenty minutes they had and just before she relayed the 'run the hell out of here' command, the platforms shook and a familiar sound clawed at her ears. The Human Reaper reared up from the depths, clinging onto the platforms for support as it initated round two of their struggle. Despearate, the Collectors that managed to slip into the room fought to protect it but they prevailed. The lights in the Reaper flickered as it moaned and screeched, the sound making Shepard cringe in pain. The platforms suddenly buckled and collapsed, sending all three of them tumbling down several stories. Miranda recovered first and helped Tali up, both battered and bruised.

"Where's Sheaprd?" Miranda asked, noticing the woman missing.

"You don't think… Shepard?!" Tali called, suddenly becoming quite concerned.

To their relief, they found Shepard lying dazed under a pile of rubble. Her shields and suit had absorbed most of the damage but a piece of her left armguard was missing along with a gash through the suit along the back of her shoulders and a few minor cuts and bruises.

"Fuck… that hurt. Garrus, you read?" Shepard called over the comm.

"There you are! We ready to go?!" Garrus called.

"Let's get the fuck out of here before this place blows." Shepard replied.

EDI found them a new route to join up with Garrus's squad and once the whole team was reunited, they booked it for the Normandy. The place was shaking and the Collectors scrambled about in confusion. She had no idea how much longer they had but they needed to get out fast. The Normandy, thankfully, was up and running and was waiting for them where the Collector crusier had left. Shepard brought up the rear guard. No one was getting left behind and if someone did, she would be the first.

"AUGH!" Shepard cried out when a shot passed through her leg, sending her tumbling to the ground. Shepard tried to pick herself up, swearing as the pain laced up her body. Miranda and Garrus both skidded to a halt just before boarding the ship, shouting her name. Shepard shouted at them to kepe going as she, slowly, picked herself up. The shaking in the base was getting worse… the Reaper must have fallen on something pretty important she thought.

"You will not escape!" The voice of Harbinger snarled.

Shepard cried out as the burning Collector lifted her effortlessly, the heat burning through her chest plate as she could feel the points of its clawed hand sinking in towards flesh.

"Your fighting is futile. Your rebirth was futile. You cannot win." The Collector preached, the glow in the cracks of its skin glowing brighter.

"F-fuck you!" Shepard growled, struggling.

Suddenly, she was dropped on the ground. Shepard croaked in agony as she landed on her shot leg. The base gave a violent shake as she tried to get up and saw the path to the Normandy crumble away partly, the ship wavering in place. Joker was standing at the door with an assault rifle in hand. She was surprised he had managed to shoot the Collector without hitting her. Fear struck her as she realized she wasn't going to make it, not with her leg in its condition.

"Come on Shepard!" Joker called desperately.

_I'm giving you a reason to make it back from the relay…_

_Give the Collector's hell but come back alive with your people…_

Shepard dug her fingers into the ground and pushed herself to her feet, ignoring the sharp, burning pain in her leg as she got up. The Collectors were giving chase but Shepard forced herself to run, each step agonizing. She could only manage a fast limp and there was still a jump but she had to take it. Gritting her teeth, Shepard forced herself into a sprint as Joker laid down cover fire. The edge was coming up fast and fear suddenly gripped her. Did she have enough speed? Would she be able to make that jump? So many questions but it was too late now… she was committed. She lunged off the edge and for a second, she feared she wasn't going to make it.

The bottom edge of the door slammed into her stomach, nearly knocking the wind from her lungs as she struggled to find a grip. Joker grabbed her to keep her from sliding, several audible cracks sounding over the gunfire from the Collectors as several bones broke from the effort. With Jacob's help, they hauled the Commander back into the Normandy as EDI piloted the ship away, the door hissing shut as they headed for space. They just barely cleared the explosion of the base as they headed back for the relay. No one said much of anything until they were back in familiar space. Shepard was confined to the med-bay until the hole in her leg had healed. Even with the nanities in her blood stream, it would still take a weeks for a full recovery. Everyone came by to congratulate her and express their relief. Miranda was the last of her visitors.

"We did it. Somehow, we all made it through with a few scrapes and bruises." Miranda commented thoughtfully.

"Well, I currently have a hole in my le but I see what you mean… though this isn't the end. The Reapers are royally pissed now." Shepard commented as she struggled to sit up.

"We have time to prepare. I'm sure the Illusive Man is not happy with either of us."

"Why did you did you do that?" Shepard asked.

"Being with you, seeing what you've accomplished first hand… the Illusive Man is wrong. I see that now. What he wants for humanity is not something I want. You helped protect my sister, my family… I realize that the Reapers are bigger than humanity's best interests, whatever those are. You've earned my respect and my loyalty, Commander. I would follow your lead gladly." She replied with a warm smile, patting her on the shoulder before leaving.

Mid-stride, Miranda paused, a thoughtful look on her face. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a data disk and turned around, placing the disk on the table next to Shepard.

"What's that?" She asked, picking it up.

"Information Liara needs to find the Shadow Broker. The Illusive Man was going to use it as a leveraging tool between you and Liara… pit you two against each other if he needed to. It's yours to do with what you will" Miranda replied before leaving the medbay.

Shepard stared at the disket, realizing what she had just been handed. She drew her lips in a tight line as she thought about it… what Liara might do with this information. She wondered how long the Illusive Man had held on to it.

* * *

It took only a week and a half before Shepard was healed enough to walk and that was when the Illusive Man wished to speak with her. As expected, he was not happy with her decision to blow up the Collector base. He argued that the technology on it could have benefited them in preparing for the Reapers.

"No, it would benefit you and Ceberus. I'm not going to sacrifice the soul of my species to fight them." Shepard argued.

"You are a fool Commander. Do not turn your back on me!" He said, voice raised.

"Sorry, can't hear you over the bullshit that's on the channel. EDI, would you mind clearing it up?" Shepard replied snidely.

"Of course Commander." EDI replied, shutting down the call immediately.

"Thanks. You're not so bad to have around." Shepard commented as the table raised out of the floor and the lights flickered back on.

"I appreciate that, Shepard. You are all important to me. Shall I have Mr. Moreau set a course for anywhere in particular?" EDI asked.

"Illium. I have someone to see."


	33. Heart of Darkness

_This chapter ended up being WAY longer than I had intended but I didn't want to split the LotSB story-line into multiple chapters. The next chapter is gonna be focused on Arrival, so a solo Shepard chapter._

_Also, 50 Follows. Wow… I honestly didn't think the story would become quite that popular but thank you guys for all your support. I do appreciate it… it's amazing._

_*For those who are also Dragon Age fans, I Am the One will be making an appearance soon, though I won't start heavily updating that story until Scars is finished. I hope some of you will enjoy that one as well._

* * *

"You're all gussied up girl. Meeting a hot date?" The asari bartender asked Liara.

"You could say that." Liara replied, sipping her cocktail as she glanced at the door again, hoping to see Shepard walk in.

She had gotten her message hours before the Normandy docked on Illium yet again. Shepard had asked her to meet her at the bar for celebratory drinks. The asari was glad Shepard had survived the fight with the Collectors… everyone had. The bartender whistled when she spotted Shepard, Liara snapping her head up. The clothes she was wearing, she had never seen the human wear before. She smirked when she saw Liara and slid onto a barstool next to her. She hadn't seen Liara in the white pants and jacket before, the blue trim a nice compliment and it reminded her of the armor the asari had worn years ago.

"The usual, Red?" Aethyta asked.

"Of course. Hey Liara…. You look great." She said, looking the asari up and down.

"You look… amazing in that." Liara replied with a slight stammer.

Aethyta passed the human her drink and sat back and watched them. She had figured out the two were lovers and was curious if they had patched things up between each other. At first, the human didn't seem like a good match at all for the asari but she liked to keep an open mind.

"So, the Collectors are dead?" Liara asked curiously.

"Most of them anyway. We blew up the base… Illiusive Man wasn't too happy about that." Shepard chuckled, taking a large gulp of her drink.

"I'm sure. Are you still partnered with him and Cerberus?"

"No. I'm… freelancing right now. Technically, I still work for the Council but I've been keeping a low profile since we got back. Kinda liking it… no one breathing down my neck for once." The red-head replied.

"I'm really glad you came back and in one piece." Liara said with a warm smile, leaning close to her.

"Well, you gave me a damn good reason to come back." Shepard replied, blushing when she heard Aethyta snicker.

"Don't mind me. I'm just enjoying the show." The matriarch teased, picking up a glass to clean.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you, dirty old lady." Shepard joked in return.

"You're lucky I like you Red, else I'd slap that smirk off your face with a singulariy. Refills?"

With their drinks refilled, they talked some more but Shepard found she was running out of things to say. Her eyes kept wandering over Liara, admiring the way that outfit complimented her… and debating how fast she could get it off her. Aethyta noticed the hungry look in the human's eyes and leaned forward on the bar, smirking.

"Seems like Red's got other things on her mind. Pretty sure she's just stripped you and eye fucked you at least four times now." The asari noted smugly.

"I was not!" Shepard protested, cheeks and ears turning red.

"Oh? Maybe you want to bend her over the bar instead? I could clear the place out for you for about an hour if you'd like."

"Aethyta!" Shepard explained, Liara also looking mortified.

"No? Other way around? I didn't think you'd be a bottom Red. Nice one, Kiddo." The bartender laughed before leaving to tend to someone else.

"She's really something. Hey, you wanna head out Liara?" Shepard asked, still a bit pink in the face.

"I think that might be a nice idea." Liara agreed, finishing her drink.

With their tab paid, they left the bar and just wandered about the area a little, arm in arm. They found a nice view of the port and stood there to watch ships and shuttles go by, Liara resting her head against Shepard's shoulder. She pressed a gentle kiss on the top of Liara's head and smiled.

"So what happens now?" Liara asked, her voice a bit sullen.

"We prepare for the Reapers. They'll come, sooner or later. Fighting them is not going to be easy." She replied, looking up at the expanse of starry sky above.

"We'll find a way to win. The galaxy will rally behind you, Laura. You've become somewhat of a living legend."

"Ya… let's hope that'll actually mean something to someone. The Council and the Alliance aren't going to do shit until the Reapers are right on top of them." Shepard sighed, a scowl on her face.

"Oh! I need to grab something from my office." Liara suddenly announced, pulling Shepard along.

The human followed after her, a bit confused. This area of Illium was a bit quieter, though Liara's office was tucked away in a spot that was fairly private. The asari punched in the code for her door and headed inside, immediately heading to her desk. Shepard stood there, looking around at the books and knick-knacks on the bookshelf while she waited. The disket crossed her mind but she wanted to wait to give it to Liara. She wasn't sure how the asari would react to the information and she had other things in mind. It wasn't that big of a deal, right?

"Hmmm, I guess I already took it home. I'm sorry Shepard… but since we're here…" Liara said, her tone turning suggestive.

"Oh? Why do I get the feeling you lured me here on purpose Dr. T'Soni?" Shepard chuckled.

"I might have. I remember you having particular… ideas involving several locations in my office. They seemed like fun." Liara teased coyly, sitting on her desk top, legs crossed.

"Well… I might have had one or two…"

"Fifteen, four of them involving my desk." Liara teased.

"And here I was hoping I'd surprise you with at least one of them while you were in the middle of a client meeting or something. Just had to ruin it for me, eh?" Shepard replied, feigning disappointment as she approached the asari.

Shepard leaned down onto Liara and kissed her, bracing her weight on her arms, hands splayed on the top of the desk on either side of Liara's hips. She purred in approval as the asari tangle her fingers in the human's hair, relishing in the silky texture as it slipped through her loose grip, nails gently scraping along her scalp. She was pleased that it still drove her Commander wild, her kisses become more insistent.

A loud clatter on the groud interrupted them as Liara had attempt to push the red-head's jacket off, the disket having fallen out of her pocket. Shepard groaned in dismay when Liara got up to pick it up off the ground, looking at it curiously.

"What's this?" The asari asked.

"Information for you… involving the Shadow Broker's location." She sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

Liara felt her heart skip a beat and immediately went to her terminal to check the information on the disk. She noticed it was Cerberus intel but she wondered why Shepard had it. Still, she didn't care, this is what she had been looking for… and there was a chance Feron was still alive. She could still save him.

"I have to head to my apartment. Meet me in an hour?" Liara said, pressing a kiss to her cheek before leaving the office in a hurry, disk in hand.

"Yep… guess I'm taking a cold shower. God dammit." Shepard grumbled.

After having a quick, ice-cold shower to collect herself, Shepard took a taxi to Liara's apartment. However, when she arrived, it was being blockaded by the police. Worry immediately grabbed at her, hoping that Liara hadn't been harmed at all.

"The fuck's going on?" She demanded from the first officer she crossed.

"This is a police investivation, you need to step back ma'am." The asari replied in an official tone.

"I'm a Council SPECTRE. Let me through." Shepard growled in response, her temper getting the best of her.

"It's alright, let her through." An unfamiliar voice called.

The officer stepped aside and let her pass through the tape barrier into the apartment. She notice an asari in a blue and white hardsuit overseeing the investigation, though she didn't bear the markings of Illium's police force. She smiled at Shepard as she drew closer.

"Commander Laura Shepard. Pleasure to meet such a legendary member of our ranks. I'm Tela Vasir, a fellow SPECTRE." She greeted, holding out her hand.

"Pleasure. The fuck happened here? Where's Liara?" Shepard replied, noticing she didn't see any indication of the asari.

"Took off I'd imagine. Someone tried to take a shot at her but her kinetic barriers did their job. Guessing that glass was reinforced too. She must have really pissed someone off." Vasir replied, nodding her head towards the window.

"At least she's alive. What do you know?" Shepard asked, a small sigh of relief escaping her.

"Not much. Someone wants her dead but the place is too neat. When was the last time you saw her?"

"About an hour ago. I gave her intel that would help her find the Shadow Broker's base. Maybe he caught wind of it, sent an agent after her to recover it?" Shepard surmised.

"Hmm. Any idea where'd she could have gone?" Vasir pressed in curiosity.

"Well, if she wanted to be safe, she'd have run to my ship but she didn't. I'm guessing she's pursuing her lead before the Shadow Broker cuts her off. I wouldn't have any idea where she went but she might have left a clue somewhere around here. She knows me well enough." She replied, starting to pace around the apartment.

"You two were partners years ago when you were hunting Saren right… but I get the feeling it's a bit more than that." Vasir commented suggestively as she followed a couple of steps behind the human.

"It was… might still be, depending on how this turns out." Shepard replied evasively as she climbed the stairs to the bedroom.

Her eyes wandered to the photo of the Normandy, since it was the only thing really 'out of place' in the apartment, aside from the charred armor on display. When Shepard picked it up, the picture suddenly changed to an image of Prothean ruins. She could feel the asari SPECTRE peering over her shoulder at it.

"It changed. Mean anything to you?" She asked.

"Possibly. If she left a clue, it's probably somewhere among her collection." Shepard replied, setting the picture down and heading back downstairs.

After investigating the displayed artifacts, Shepard found a back-up disk hidden in the one near the stairs. Liara was meeting a salarian contact at Baria Frontiers, over in the Dracon Trade Center. Worried that Liara might have been followed pending the attack, Shepard hailed the Normandy, requesting Garrus and Samara meet her at Frontiers. Pleased they had a lead, Vasir followed her lead up until they arrived. Before they even reached the front doors, three of the floors exploded in a rain of fire and glass. Panic gripped Shepard but Vasir commented that Liara might still be inside somewhere and that she'd go in from the roof and work her way down while Shepard and her team went up.

However, inside, all they found were the Shadow Broker's mercenaries swarming the chaos inside. Shepard kept trying to call Liara as they made their way up to Sekat's office. They found the salarian dead and no sign of Liara. Maybe she got out before the explosion? Shepard could only hope. Vasir was there before them, but claimed she got there too late to save Sekat.

"You didn't find her?" Shepard demanded.

"No. Maybe she got out already… at least we have the intel." Vasir replied.

"I'm right here." Liara said, entering the room with her pistol aimed at Vesir.

"Liara! Are you alright?" Shepard asked, noticing she was bleeding from a cut on her temple.

"I am, luckily. However, Vasir's been lying to you. She's a double agent working for the Shadow Broker. She killed Sekat before you got here. She also sent her men here to try and kill me after you found my clue guiding you here. Now she's got the intel." Liara explained.

"What?! Oh for fuck's sake." Shepard growled, pulling her gun on Vesir.

The asari simply smirked, biotics flaring as she shattered the glass window behind her, throwing the shards at them. Liara threw up a barrier to block the shrapnel but Vasir was going to run. Shepard growled a swear and sprinted at her, tackling the asari out the window. They tumbled before she threw Shepard into the ground, landing unharmed using her biotics. In her dazed vision, Shepard saw Liara relentlessly pursue the SPECTRE before more of her men flooded in to hinder them.

"Shepard! Are you alright?" Samara called, having used her biotics in the same fashion while Garrus had taken the stairs.

"Don't think anything is broken." Shepard replied as the justicar helped her to her feet.

"Look out!" Garrus called, rifle already out as more of the Shadow Broker's lackeys rushed in to block them off.

One immediately went down from a shot by Garrus before they tucked into cover. Shepard felt blood sticking to the back of her head and a dull ache. By the time they fought their way out of Frontier's, Vasir had jumped into her skycar and was racing away.

"No! She cannot get away!" Liara cried in dismay, taking a couple shots at her in desperation.

"Garrus, head back to the Normandy and tell Joker to be prepared to leave. Samara, with me." Shepard growled her orders.

Liara gave the woman a confused look as she watched the red-head hop into a skycar, hacking the vehicle to gain control of it and start it up. She climbed into the passenger seat while Samara got in the back. She barely got her seat belt on before Shepard gunned the engine. Days with the MAKO cames flooding back and Liara swallowed nervously. The seat belt suddenly didn't feel that reassuring.

"Laura look out!" She nearly screamed as the skycar narrowly avoided slamming into a transport truck.

"Calm down, I know how to drive." Shepard growled, her attention focused on Vasir's vehicle as they slowly but surely gained on it.

"Your past experience with the MAKO begs to differ." Liara complained.

They chased Vasir through traffic, even avoiding her proximity bombs. Shepard was pissed; at Vasir, at Liara, at the Shadow Broker… she just wanted to punch someone one really hard in the face, repeatedly. They caught up to the rouge SPECTRE, only to have her try and ram them. Shepard swore as they were thrown off course by the impact but Vasir had miscalculated and her skycar slammed into another, sending her careening out of control. She managed to guide the vehicle to a nearby hotel, The Azure. They gave chase and parked on the roof, since Vasir had crashed on the floor below.

More Shadow Broker agents showed up to stop them but despite their numbers, Sheaprd, Liara, and Samara put them all down. Shepard brought up her omni-tool, EDI having sent her a layout of the hotel. Vasir had no defensible options and the authorites on Illium had been alerted to the attacks at the Trade Center and the hotel. It wouldn't be long before things got more complicated. They reached Vasir's car, noticing a blood trail giving away her path.

"She's hurt." Liara noted when she saw the blood.

"Vasir's hurt bad… she'll probably bleed out at this rate. Serves that bitch right." Shepard growled with surprising hostility as they followed.

As they walked through a guest room, Shepard noted one of the videos playing on the large screen and paused for a moment. She had heard of this place over the years, mostly from crew members discussing leave options.

"This is an… aptly named business." Samara observed.

"Azure is a lovely shade of blue to humans for the most part. Most don't understand what that means when put in context to asari… most humans are idiots. Or they might know exactly what it means since we're a pretty perverse species too." Shepard replied with a soft chuckle.

She glanced at Liara and scowled, deciding to just focus on chasing down Vasir before more of her goons showed up. However, Vasir had lost so much blood, she didn't have many options left. When they caught up to her on the outdoor bar. The wounded asari immediately grabbed a hostage, gun pointed at the woman's head.

"Drop your ammo Shepard… or this woman dies." She hissed.

"That's cute. You think I give two shits about that woman? Come on Vasir, we're SPECTREs. We're allowed a few casualties here and there. All for the greater good, right?" Shepard replied.

"I know you… you're too soft to risk an innocent civilian's life."

"Not since Cerberus put me back together." Shepard growled, adjusting her aim before squeezing the trigger.

Vasir yelped in surprise and pain, jerking back as the shot hit her in the thigh, passing through her hostage. The wounded woman fell to the ground, crying in pain as she dragged herself away. Liara couldn't believe she had witnessed what had just happened, but there wasn't time to dwell on it as Vasir managed to get herself behind cover, drones flying in to assist her. Her reserve of goons was nearly spent and despite her best efforts, her biotics were weakening as she continued to bleed all over the place. When Vasir's last shockwave fizzled out, Shepard lunged over cover and engaged her close quarters. She hit her right where the crash had wounded her, forcing Vasir on the ground.

"AUGH! You fucking bitch!" Vasir spat as Shepard pressed her boot down on the wound in her leg, unable to stop her from retrieving the data disk she had stolen from Sekat.

"You… you think you're better than me, Shepard? Fucking turned on your own for Cerberus." Vasir growled at her.

"Don't act like you know me, Vasir. You sold your loyalties to help the Shadow Broker. You're no better than Saren was… at least he had the decency to off himself in the end. I won't give you the luxury." Shepard replied, putting more weight on the wound.

"Laura, stop! We have what we need." Liara said, alarmed to see her Commander torturing someone in their last moments.

"I did what I had to for the Council. He gave me damn good… cough, intel that prevented a lot of shit going bad. So what if I gave him some intel in return? Cleaned up a mess? Cough… made a couple people disappear? Fuck you." Vasir gasped, already moving into her final moments.

"Ya, that worked out well for you, didn't it?" Shepard replied, standing there and watching until Vesir breathed her last.

With Vasir dead and the intel in hand, Shepard hailed the Normandy to send a shuttle to come pick them up as they headed back to a more open area for extraction. Samara was quiet but Liara was highly bothered by what she had just witnessed. Shepard had never been that… cruel before. Did Cerberus do something to her after all? As they were waiting on the shuttle, she drew close to Shepard. Samara noticed and, politely, moved out of earshot so the two could talk in private.

"What the hell was that back there, Laura? You don't torture people." Liara said, sounding distressed.

"And what do you know about me, Liara? You sure as hell didn't show any concern when that bitch dropped me out of the window." Shepard retorted.

"We couldn't lose Vasir! I trusted you to be ok… I've seen you take worse." The asari argued.

"Oh really? And what if I just happened to land wrong and snap my fucking neck? You are so fixated on the Shadow Broker, you couldn't give two shits about me just as long as it serves your purpose, right?"

"He's been torturing Feron for years! You wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him so I think he deserves a little more respect than that." Liara argued, temper starting to boil.

"Because I wanted my corpse dug out of the snow and experimented on. I should be so fucking grateful." Shepard growled angrily, refusing to look at her.

The shuttle arrived before they could continue and the ride TO the Normandy was uncomfortable. As soon as they were aboard the Normandy, Shepard stormed right up to her office, Kelly following nervously behind her after the woman barked stern orders at her. Liara went to the cockpit to say hi to Joker and give him the coordinates they needed. She was glad to catch up with the pilot, surprised he was able to get up and walk around.

"Shepard seemed pretty pissed when she came aboard. Something happen down there?" He asked with concern.

"It's... it got pretty out of control. How long before we get there?" Liara replied evasively.

"Eighteen hours. You should probably rest, Liara." Joker replied with a weak smile.

* * *

"You just had to give them tactical advice, didn't you Liara?" Shepard growled with annoyance as she ducked down.

"At least we won't have to deal with them later!" Liara shouted back.

"Keep dreaming T'Soni!"

After they finished off the last wave of reinforcements, the door was open. Kasumi complimented the shunt program the asari used as they headed inside before more showed up. As Shepard expected, there were more guards inside. They kept going down the hallways, following Liara's lead, until they found wher Feron was being held. He was strapped to a chair, being tortured like the intel had spoken of. When Liara tried to release him, it initated a shock. He couldn't be freed without shutting off the power from central operations for him to have a chance.

Liara told them they were close to the Shadow Broker's office, only a single guard blocking the door. Kasumi offered to take care of him but Shepard wanted to do it. She still had some steam to blow off. Pulling up her hood, she turned on her stealth module and walked into the room. The guard had his back to her, apparently unaware of the alarm going on or he was distracted… likely distracted judging from the fact he had one hand pressed to the side of his helmet, like listening to a comm link. Shepard grabbed him as soon as he finished talking, arm around his throat as he struggled. He immediately went limp as she twisted his head with strength far beyond a normal human, snapping his neck and dropping him to the floor. She pulled her hood back and looked back at Kasumi and Liara. The asari looked horrified but, for some reason, that notion pleased her.

When they entered the office itself, Shepard was surprised that they didn't find more guards, just something very large shrouded in darkness sitting at a desk with a massive display behind him… well, it. Shepard couldn't tell what it was but it had been expecting them. Its voice was deep and throaty like a krogans. He seemd confident, revealing facts about all three of them that weren't all that surprising but things not easily discovered. However, Liara had a of her own, identifying the Shadow Broker as a yagh… specficially, a yagh the original Shadow Broker likely took as a pet or trophy. He had killed the original and assumed his position without anyone realizing it.

Angered, the yagh stood to his full height and threw his desk. Shepard and Liara ducked out of the way but Kasumi was blind-sided by it and knocked unconscious. Shepard pulled the assault rifle off her back, since _Sapphyrus_ completely useless in closed quarters. The Shadow Broker's barriers were powerful and even without them, he could take damage better than a krogan. Suddenly, he pulled a massive kinetic barrier that they couldn't penetrate.

"Shit. Everything's bouncing off." Liara swore, having managed to make it back to Shepard's side.

"He can't move though… I guess we do this the old fashioned way." Shepard replied, holstering her gun and cracking her knuckles.

"Laura, what are you…" the asari asked, watching as the human leapt over cover.

Shepard charged him and punched the yagh straight in the mouth, her glove ripping as it snagged on the beast's sharp teeth. Startled, the Shadow Broker dropped his barrier and swung back. Shepard barely dodged and hit him again as hard as she could muster. Bellowing angrily, the Shadow Broker pulled out a shield and slammed it into Shepard, throwing her back across the room. Liara ran to her side but Shepard shoved her off as she got back up, not wanting her help now.

Each time the barrier came up, Liara noticed the glass above him was cracking. Despite their best efforts, they were both running low on power cells, bullets and strength. Shepard rolled into her cover as the Shadow Broker opened fire on her again. She was covered in sweat and panting heavily.

"Fuck, the Thersher Maw was easier." Shepard groaned, checking the clip in her gun.

"Laura, the tank above him is cracking. If you can get him to put that barrier up one more time…" Liara started to explain.

"Done. Just don't get me caught in it." Shepard growled, shooting blindly over her cover.

Eventually, Shepard got him to throw up his barrier and beat him up a final time before diving out of the way as Liara broke the tank above him. The yagh's cries quickly died as whatever that liquid was completely destroyed him. The power in the entire ship flickered for a few brief seconds, likely back-up generators kicking in to support the ship. Shepard went to go check on Kasumi as Liara approached the console, curious to see what it contained. However, agents immediately started calling in about the power outage. It seemed it had disrupted the entire network. Dozens of voices were calling, expecting an answer from their boss. That's when Liara made a choice… she made a choice that would forever change her.

Feron burst into the room shortly after Liara finished reassuring the agents of the outage. He was surprised, just as Shepard was as she was helping Kasumi up off the floor. Liara gave them a sheepishly smile, the weight of her decision slowly sinking in.

"Is… this what you want?" Shepard asked, approaching her once Kasumi assured her she was ok.

"Yes. The whole galaxy at my finger tips… we could destroy it but it would be a waste. I could use it for a more noble purpose, help you fight the Reapers when they come." Liara replied, attention focused on the console.

"That's a lot of power for one person to have. At least you're sensible Liara." Shepard said.

Feron and Kasumi noticed the tension between them and excused themselves from the room. Shepard winced as her hands ached, cut and bruised from fist-fighting the yagh. She was pretty sure a few ribs had gotten cracked and her jaw had a fracture. Still, there was a hollow, aching feeling in her heart she hadn't felt in months. She knew what it meant and sighed, running her bruised fingers through her hair.

"You'll keep me honest, Laura. I…" Liara started to reply but suddenly became overwhelmed as tears.

Shepard scowled and made a helpless sound as she approached Liara and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. The asari immediately turned and hugged her, face pressed into her shoulder. Shepard waited until she calmed down before taking a step back.

"Are you going to be ok?" She asked.

"Ya, it's just… finally over. After so long, it's finally over." Liara sighed, wiping her eyes clear.

"You got what you wanted and then some, right? Feron's safe, the Shadow Broker's dead… kinda. Now that just leaves the Reapers. Easy, right?" Shepard replied with a hollow tone to her voice.

"We'll find a way to beat them too." Liara replied,

"I hope. I… should probably get back to the Normandy. I'm beat all to hell, Kasumi needs to be looked after… you got a new position to learn and manage. You don't need me here anymore." Shepard said, a note of finality in the last part.

"Laura… could we talk about this?"

"If you want to come up to the Normandy, sure I guess. I'm sure Tali and Garrus would like to get their chance to see you and catch up. Dr. Chakwas too… once she's done patching up my new holes." Shepard sighed, turning away from her without really answering her question.

Liara sighed, lips pursed as she watched Shepard leave. Feron returned about twenty minutes later and helped her get the office cleaned up. Glyph, the Broker's VI, helped her catch up to speed on all the systems and current missions, agent data… everything. It was odd that the Shadow Broker didn't lock anything but then… she supposed the original Shadow Broker hadn't expected anyone to get this far and the yagh had thought the same thing. Once she was settled in, she found herself thinking about Shepard's invitation to the Normandy but at the same time… the woman had been completely cold to her.

"You're worried about her. You should go, Liara." Feron commented after having listened to her sighs and depressed mumblings for the past couple of hours.

"I suppose I should. Maybe I can fix this but… I don't know. She's not herself. Maybe Cerberus did change her..." Liara muttered nervously.

"Just go Liara. You won't get any answers sitting in here. I'll look after things until you get back, so no hurry." He said with a smile, patting her on the shoulder.

Liara smiled in return, thankful for the push and hailed EDI to send a shuttle. Luckily, she could now leave through a regular exit. She didn't have any of her stuff here and not even a chance to shower and freshen up. When she got on the ship, she was immediately greeted by Tali. They hugged each other tightly and eagerly caught up. Garrus was in the mess hall, where they all sat down and chatted. Dr. Chakwas noticed her as well and came to join them. Liara didn't pay attention to the time as she caught up with her friends but eventually, she decided it was time to face Shepard.

* * *

When Liara stepped off the elevator, she was surprised by how expansive the room was. An entire floor to herself… it was as nice as her apartment back on Illium. One wall was, mostly, a large fish tank and she noticed there were several species inside… surprisingly well cared for. By her desk was a glass case filled with model ships, quite a few she recognized. Shepard herself was down in the 'bedroom' part, sitting at a workstation with her custom Black Widow. She was only dressed in her regulation blue briefs and a loose fitting tank top. The scar on her back still glowed orange in places and she had several new ones across her arms and back. Liara grimaced, wondering how many new ones her pursuit of the Shadow Broker would add.

"Laura?" She called gently, standing at the top of the small stair case.

"You enjoy the tour of the ship?" She asked without turning around.

"Yes. The new Normandy is quite amazing. Tali and Garrus seemed quite happy to see me. Dr. Chakwas as well. I'm glad they are all doing well." She replied, eyes still on the human.

"How are you liking your new ship?" Shepard asked.

"Functional without any style but it suits its purpose." The asari replied. "Sheaprd, I want to talk about us."

"What is there to talk about, Liara? Given circumstances, how is there going to be an 'us'?" Shepard asked, setting aside the tool she had in her hand and straightening up.

"Dammit Laura, why are you acting like this?!" Liara demanded.

"Why do you think?! For fuck's sake Liara look at us! I'm not even human anymore and I'm expected to be the bulwark against the Reapers. I died and was pieced back together like a frakenstein monster and people uphold me as a hero. You… you're the Shadow Broker now. Where's there going to be time for 'us', huh?" Shepard growled in anger, turning on her.

For the first time, the cybernetics in Shepard's eyes were glowing, giving those green pools streaks of terrifying red. Liara swallowed and stared her down. A loud exhale escaped the human, fingers in her hair as she looked down at the floor.

"This is all a fucking mess. I… I just want…" Shepard started but her voice was cracking.

"Laura. What is it that you want?" Liara asked, approaching her and gently tipping her chin up to look the human in the eye.

"I want us, what we were before the Collectors. I want the proposal I planned, I wanted a wedding, retirement… I wanted a future that wasn't bloodshed and war." Shepard replied with a heavy sigh. "But, that was never going to happen and I've been too stupid to acknowledge it. I just… I wanted it so badly…"

Liara watched Shepard sit down on the edge of her bed, hair a mess and looking exhausted. No proud stance, no air of confidence… just a tired woman who wanted more out of her lot in life. Liara felt her heart twist but she wasn't sure what to do or say to her.

"When I last talked to my mom, she asked me about grandkids. She assumed everything was great with us and was more concerned about having grand-daughters to look forward to and not a fucking war that could destroy us all. It got me thinking… what do I want out of my life? What if… by sheer luck, this is all over and I survive it… what is there waiting for me?" Shepard sighed.

"You… do you want daughters?" Liara asked, a bit surprised by the revelation.

"At first, I never thought about it much. Sure, I like Serah and Rebheka well enough but never thought of them as my own. Lately though… I've wondered if I'd make a good parent at all. It's a pipe dream though." Shepard grumbled, messing with her hair again.

"Laura, I don't want to lose you again in any manner. We can make this work, no matter what. I want a future with you and I will fight for it… if you will."

"Liara… why? You see where this is going to lead." Shepard asked, refusing to look up at her.

"Because I love you and there's no one else in this galaxy I'd rather face the impossible with than you." Liara replied, moving to straddle Laura's lap.

The human was surprised by the asari's invasion of her personal bubble, looking up at her in confusion and worry. Liara smiled and kissed her gently. Shepard didn't respond at first but after some coaxing, she met Liara's kiss with lax enthusiasm. Liara wasn't satisfied with that response and pulled away. The human smelled of a gentle fragrance, likely having showered awhile ago. The thought of a shower reminded her that she was still covered in dirt, blood, and sweat.

"I… smell. I should probably take a shower. Would you… like to join me?" Liara asked, gasping when she felt the human's arms suddenly around her waist.

"I like this smell on you… it's different." Shepard muttered against her throat, resting the side of her head on the asari's shoulder, inhaling deeply.

"That's not funny." Liara grumbled.

"I recall you liking me smelling of combat at times. It kinda of suits you now."

"I have blood on me… not all of it my own."

"Why'd you ask me about having daughters?" Shepard asked, changing the topic immediately.

"Well, do you still want to get married?" Liara countered.

"Do you want to marry a tired old warrior with more issues than there are Reapers… probably?"

"I want to marry you and I want to… how do you humans put it, bear your children?" Liara replied with a smug smirk.

"Ok… I was not expecting that last part. You… really want kids?"

"Yes. How many were you thinking? Two? Three?" Liara replied with a chuckle, pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

"I was thinking about a whole division of daughters." Shepard replied, finally smiling.

"H-how many is a division?"

"About ten thousand or so… Miranda says I'll probably live to about three hundred or so, though I'm not sure how many we could squeeze out in that time frame. I was never good at math."

"That's too many Shepard. Seriously, I'm not a krogan and neither are you." Liara replied with an eye roll.

"But I have a bet with Wrex I can out breed him." Shepard joked, fingers finding their place in the furrows on the back of the asari's neck.

"You're going to lose that bet Shepard. Give up now." The asari sighed.

"We'll see… but seriously, is this what you want? Do you really want me despite the fact fate is pretty much trying its damned hardest to keep us apart?" Shepard asked, taking on a more serious tone.

"Yes Sheaprd, I'm sure. I want you… I've always wanted you since that day you rescued me on Therum." She replied with a warm, sultry smile.

"Oh really? I was that dashing and heroic to you?" Laura asked, nipping at Liara's jawline.

"Yes. Honestly, I had never seen a human before but you were the most beautifully intimidating individual I've ever met and being a maiden with very little contact with others, I had become quite smitten with you… though I wasn't very brave back then. You tongue fucking me on Noveria was inspiring though." Liara teased.

"Liara! Language! I'm supposed to say that crap, not you. You're the sweet, innocent one, remember?"

"Not anymore. Now… are we going to sit here and continue this witty banter or we going to have sex in your shower?" Liara asked, getting up and starting to remove her jacket.

"Well then… you have quite the tongue on you now." Shepard noted, watching her with a smug smile as the asari continued to undress.

"It's your fault. You swear worse than that bartender on Illium… not my fault I picked up some of it." Liara replied as she wiggled out of her pants.

"You can't go through the military without picking up every profanity known to the human race. I took a shower earlier though so maybe I'll just watch." Shepard teased.

"Oh no you won't." Liara replied with a scowl as she shimmed out of her panties, clothes discarded on the floor.

"Shall I lock the door and alert the Yeoman and crew that you are indisposed, Commander?" EDI asked.

"Yes… and if you don't mind, all the cams you have in my room? Route the footage to my private server and delete the rest for me EDI." Shepard replied as she stood, a stunned look on Liara's face.

"Of course. Logging you out Commander." EDI replied.

"And you're calling me out for swearing?" Liara asked, blushing a bit.

"Beats watching Vaenia another fifty times. I'm pretty sure I can recite most of the spoken dialogue." Shepard replied with a shrug as she followed her to the bathroom.

Liara was even stunned by the size of the shower, though it wasn't nearly as big as the one in her apartment. Still, it was a nice luxury, especially since she had hot water. Shepard just stood there, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest. Liara sighed, pleased to finally get cleaned up. She could feel the human's eyes on her, feeling her blush grow even hotter. Though she had much more confidence in herself, Shepard's eyes and the weight of her gaze always made her feel like a shy, naïve maiden. Still, the human refused to join her in the shower and Liara wasn't going to have any of that. She, discreetly, cupped her hands to catch some of the shower water before throwing it at Shepard. The human jumped as the front of her shirt was soaked.

"God damn! You wanna play like that, huh?" Shepard growled playfully, pulling the shirt over her head and wiggling out of her briefs before pressing the asari up against the far wall.

"I finally got you into the shower." Liara giggled, arms around her lover's neck.

They kissed, water rolling down Shepard's back and arms. Liara moaned as Shepard's mouth moved to her throat, pressing hungry kisses and firm love bites to her wet skin. The asari found her hips grinding against the human's thigh in eager anticipation, desiring her touch fiercely. However, Shepard had other plans. Once she was certain the asari was quite worked up, she pulled away and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel to dry herself off. Liara stood there, a bit confused for a second.

"L-laura?" She asked, voice a bit raspy.

Shepard didn't say anything, just smirked and left the bathroom without a word. Liara huffed in annoyance and turned off the shower, grabbing a towel herself but leaving it on the floor once she had dried off. Sheaprd was by her fish tank, putting food and watching them eat. The main room lights were off, leaving the room cast in an atmospheric blue glow by the fish tank. She saw Liara in the reflection of the glass and smiled.

"Not like you to leave me… wanting." Liara retorted as she approached her.

"I think I'm owed a little pay-back for Illium. Do you have to be back on your ship anytime soon?" Shepard asked, a dark smirk that made Liara's heart flutter.

"Um… not really. Feron has things well in… oh?!" Liara replied, words faltering when Shepard was suddenly right there, hands cupping her face.

"Good. We can't squander this opportunity, can we? We still have a few years to catch up on, my sapphire."


	34. The Cost of a Favor

_More indoctrination weaving. I'm skipping over a HUGE chunk of the Arrival DLC because, well… up until Shepard is captured, nothing much I could mess with. However, at this point, where Shepard wakes up after a couple of days under Reaper captivity… I figured that'd be more interesting to mess with._

_I will try to be more careful with my proof-reading but I'm also in the market for a beta reader for this story, as well as my others if anyone is interested in offering their help._

* * *

The first thing she noticed was the sound… the grating whisper in her ears, burrowing into her brain. It was like a thousand voices talking all at once in a thousand languages. She tried to ignore it but something was forcing her to open her eyes. Shepard woke up in daze, her vision swimming in and out of focus. She remembered the artifact… Project Rho. This had been a trap… Harbinger using Kenson to lure her out here. Why was she still alive though? If Harbinger wanted her out of the way, he should have killed her by now. The more she thought about it, the louder the whispers got in her ear.

Shepard snapped her head up when she saw a movement from the corner of her eye but it was gone. She frantically looked about, feeling quite paranoid all of a sudden. That's when she realized what was going on. How long had she been here? She remembered the fight, breaking Kenson's wrist, the bright wave of energy coming from Rho… she immediately checked herself for wounds but found she had been patched up rather expertly. So, Harbinger wanted her alive then. She didn't want to find out why the Reaper wanted her alive… she had to escape and, somehow, buy the galaxy a little more time.

"She's awake!" A voice shouted, followed by the sound of panicked running.

Shepard saw a scientist bolting out of the room and dove for the panel, taking over one of the LOKI mechs and chasing him down before he could trigger any alarms… not that that did any good. As soon as she disabled the barrier keeping her trapped in the room, every alarm on the station went off. So much for quietly sneaking out of here. As she made her way back to the main room, she saw the countdown clock.

"Shit!" She muttered to herself, sprinting for the control room when she saw there was only an hour and a half left before the Reapers would arrive.

Eventually, Shepard recovered all of her gear and forced her way through the guards into the control room where Kenson had holed herself up. She already had a plan… not that she liked the idea of what she was about to do. She had to stop the Reapers… get them more time… and that meant destroying the Alpha Relay and all of the Bahak System. Her stomach clenched in a nauseating manner as it settled on her that she was about to kill hundreds of thousands for the futile sake of trillions. She had to slow the Reapers down. The whispers grew louder for a few moments and she saw black shapes at the field of her vision before it calmed down… that was not a good sign.

Once she reached the Project Control room, she saw the comm panel and went for it, intending to warn the batarian colony as she started up the engines on the asteroid. Maybe there was still time for them to start evacuation but Kenson cut her off before the message got out. The indoctrinated woman, realizing what Shepard intended, ran for the Reactor Core, spouting nonsense about the Reapers and how she was going to take Shepard down with her. Realizing that Kenson intended to blow up the asteroid before it could reach the Alpha Relay, Shepard gave chase, her progress slowed by the guards and mechs the woman kept laying in her path. By the time she caught up, Kenson had over-ridden all the safety protocols on the reactor and it was going into melt down. The alarms, along with the whispers at the back of her skull, were giving her a massive migraine and making it harder and harder to concentrate. Consulting the VI, Shepard found she needed to push in both cooling rods to stabilize the core. She pushed in the first and went off to the second one. Kenson, however, was determined to be a thorn every step of the way.

"End of the line Shepard. I'll take you with me but you will not stop them!" Kenson shouted, holding a dentonator in her hand, thumb over the trigger.

"Hackett trusted you and you betrayed him. Betrayed everyone and for what? You're just going to be melted down into grey goo. The Reapers aren't saving anyone… they're going to destroy us all." Shepard growled, breathing heavily as she kept her pistol trained on Kenson.

"This is all your fault! You should have stayed dead!" Kenson screamed hysterically.

Shepard grit her teeth and shifted her aim but it was too late. By the time she squeeze off the shot, Kenson hit the detonator, killing herself and throwing Shepard back into a wall, knocking her out. When the red-head recovered, she glanced at the countdown and saw there was barely a half hour left. She had to leave now. She tried to radio the Normandy again but the comms were completely down. She would have to find her own way out. She made it to the evacuation pads but the last shuttles took off. She picked off the last of the guards and mechs before getting a message from the VI that one of the outdoor comm relays were still working. She ran for it and hailed the Normandy to come grab her. This was going to cut it close as she saw the Alpha Relay slowly but steadily drawing closer.

_Shepard. You have become an annoyance._

The voice made a chill crawl down her spine and fill her gut full of dread as she turned to find a hologram of Harbinger looming over her. It looked so much like Sovereign but different in ways she couldn't begin to guess at right now. The ringing in her ears got louder, the whisper tangled and a sudden pressure on her chest.

_You fight against the inevitable… dust struggling against cosmic winds. Your efforts are for naught. Futile resistance against forces beyond your comprehension._

"That's kind of my job, Harbinger. I've blown up one of you already… I'm sure we can take a few more of you out." Shepard shouted back in challenge.

_You face yoru doom. Your leaders will die, your worlds will burn to ash. Your sacrifice will be in vain as humanity is reduced to nothing._

"Despite the odds, even if we have to fight to the last… we'll take as many of you with us into hell as we can. You're not coming out of this unscathed."

_Meaningless. Foolishness. Predictable. Prepare for the Arrival._

The Normandy arrived moments later to pick her up. As soon as the air lock shut behind her, Joker and EDI piloted the ship to the Relay and jumped through, minutes to spare before impact. They were back in Alliance space, far from what happened but the weight of the events sat square on Shepard's shoulders. When she entered the med-bay, she was surprised to see Admiral Hackett standing there, talking lightly with Dr. Chakwas.

"Commander! Goodness, you're a mess. Here, let me look at you." Dr. Chakwas said immediately, pointing at table.

Shepard sat down and let her run her scans and tests, feeling the weight of the admiral's gaze on her. She was supposed to bring Kenson back but instead… she had destroyed an entire batarian system. She was going to catch hell for it and she knew it. Man the Council was going to strip her of her SPECTRE status over this… maybe she deserved it.

"We need a moment Dr. Chakwas, if you don't mind." Admiral Hackett said quietly.

The woman huffed but left anyway, leaving the two alone. Shepard ran her fingers through her hair, rolling her shoulders and looking up at him.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Kenson was indoctrinated. She found a Reaper artifact… she used you to lure me into a trap for Harbinger. I'm sorry but there was no saving her or her team. We're out of time, Hackett. They're on their way." Shepard replied.

"So the Reaper threat…"

"Ya. We're fucked, to say the least. I bought us some time. Maybe a couple months, maybe a few weeks. But… we're out of time. This isn't going to be like any war anyones fought before. The chances of winning are going to be slim to none. Lots of people are going to die… a lot." Shepard sighed.

"What do you mean you bought us time, Shepard?" Hackett asked curiously.

"I… I tried to get a warning message out but Kenson cut me off. If I hadn't gotten caught, maybe they'd have had time but… I rammed the asteroid into the Alpha Relay, sir. I destroyed an entire system. I have to turn myself in." Shepard replied sourly.

"I see. At least you tried. I'm sorry you got tangled up in this. I would not have thought this would resulted in commiting a terriost act, even though it was for the good of everyone. Once word spreads, the batarians will want your blood. There will be a witch-hunt… you will have to return to Earth to face trial." He told her, expression stoic.

"I know. I've been in a similar situation before. I'm sure the batarians will try to start something but the Reapers are going to hit them first and hit them hard. Once they have access to another relay, they're going to spread fast."

The conversation tapered off into awkward silence as Shepard took a moment to think. The ringing was still there but it was quiet and the whispers had stop. With Object Rho gone, the effects had calmed but Shepard suspected she had been exposed too long and that suspcision planted the seeds of paranoia and fear. What if Harbinger had managed to start the indoctrination process on her? How long could she fight it for? What would happen if she turned like Saren did? She swallowed, mouth feeling dry all of a sudden.

"Admiral, why are you here?" She asked.

"I felt I needed to debrief you personally… to hear what happened from you directly. I know you're not Cerberus, Commander but there's a lot going on that I think we've all been ignorant of. We're not ready for this Shepard… I don't think anyone is." He replied.

"Aye. What… would you suggest I do?"

"Wrap up any loose ends. Take what time you can but when Earth calls, be in your dress blues and be prepared to take that hit. They'll take your ship, arrest some of your crew for being Cerberus… likely lock you up or at least keep you grounded. You did the right thing Shepard. Keep the report… I don't need it."

* * *

"Shadow Broker. You have a call coming in." Glyph announced, distracting the asari from the terminal.

"Who?" She asked, taking note that if Glyph was telling her about it, it was coming over her private channel.

"Laura Shepard. Shall I patch her through?"

"Absolutely! Shepard?! Are you ok?" She replied, immediately responding to the call as it was patched through.

"Hey Liara. Listen, I have to keep this short. I'm currently on Omega right now." Came the human's reply.

"What happened?" Liara pressed, growing concerned.

"I'm going to have to go to Earth for awhile. We likely won't be able to communicate and I dunno how long I'll be there for. Probably awhile."

"Why do you have to go Earth? Shepard… what's going on? This isn't about Cerberus, is it?" Liara asked.

"No. I… I destroyed the Bahak System by blowing up the Alpha Relay. I was captured by indoctrinated scientists stationed out there. I'm turning myself in, since what I did was practically terrorism but I did it to buy us time. The Reapers are on the way." Shepard replied, her voice full of exhaustion.

"Goddess… Shepard… is there anything I can do to help?"

"No. I'll be alright. They'll parade me around a bit I imagine to calm down the batarians but you… you should focus on staying safe. It's going to be a rough ride from here on." The human replied sadly.

"Will... will I be able to see you before you go?" Liara asked, brow knitted in concern.

"I wish. I really want to see you before I go but I have to get everyone off the ship. Dr. Chakwas and Joker are staying, along with a couple others but they'll all likely get arrested for being Cerberus." Shepard sighed, wishing they had a video feed so she could look at Liara while they talked.

"How… how did you get tangled up in this?"

"Doing a favor for Admiral Hackett. EDI will be forwarding you all the data on the Collectors, the Reapers… everything I took from the base and Dr. Kenson. Do what you can with it to warn people because the Alliance and the Council sure as fuck aren't."

"Ok. Laura… I love you." Liara replied, feeling herself getting a little choked up.

"I love you too Liara. Hopefully… I'll see you soon."

* * *

_Your worlds will burn. Humanity will turn to dust… fighting is futile._

_Their eyes were everywhere, hundreds upon hundreds in the darkness… staring at her. The darkness pressed down on her, suffocating, strangling… she could barely breathe._

_Your sacrifice is futile._

_You left us to die!_

_The voices were getting louder, familiar tones of people from her past melding together. Soldiers lost… guilt rising anew. She could feel slimy hands grabbing at her, tearing at her. Pieces of flesh being pulled away, revealing metal bone underneath… like the creature they found in the Collector's base. She screamed… screamed as loud as she could but it was drowned out by the roar of the Reaper as they all descended upon her…_

Shepard woke with a start, panting and clutching at her chest, skin damp with sweat. The night terrors were getting worse. She could still hear the faint buzz of the voices but shrugged it off. She glanced at the time on her omni-tool. They should be in the Sol System by now.

"Another dream, Commander?" EDI asked, turning on some of the lights for her.

"Ya… but I'm ok now. Have the Alliance picked us up?" She asked.

"We are currently being escorted to a docking bay. There will be soldiers waiting." EDI replied.

"You didn't bother to wake me up for that?"

"You needed rest. It has been a trying few months." EDI responded.

"Thanks EDI. So… are you going to be ok? I mean, the Alliance isn't going to take too kindly to an AI on a ship."

"I will be fine, Commander. Is there anything else you need from me?" The ship asked.

"No... I suppose not. It's been a hell of an honor working with you EDI. Kinda nice to have my ship have its own voice." She replied, getting to her feet and fetching her uniform from where she laid it out on the chair.

"It was an honor serving with you Shepard. I hope, one day, you will return. I will be here waiting."


	35. Earth Burns

_From here on, there's going to be some changes to how ME3 will flow, some small and others large. The 'soul' of the story line will remain intact but events will have different interpretations as they pan out. Thank you for the continued views, reviews, and favorites/follows. I really do appreciate them._

* * *

Shepard stood at the window overlooking the plaza, watching a few kids play in the park. She smiled distantly, thinking of what it would be like to watch her own… likely digging in the dirt, grass stains on her knees and dirt on her cheek. She turned away and surveyed her quarters for the thousandth time. She had been stuck here for… a month now? Shepard hadn't been keeping track very well, the days bleeding into each other but she had been in a constant state of unease since they arrested her. As expected, she was paraded around, plastered on every news channel across Citadel and Alliance space. A distraction from the real threat that was about to show up on their door step.

Her head snapped up when the door opened and she saw Captain Anderson standing there. She saluted him and gave him a weary smile.

"Come to check up on me?" She asked, noticing the hallway was a buzz with activity.

"No. The Council wants to see you, now." He replied simply.

Shepard followed after him as he brought her up to speed. They had lost contact with their defenses spread across the Sol System barely an hour ago. She, briefly, ran into Ashley Williams. The pair had patched things up, somewhat, between themselves. They entered the room where the Council was assembled, a collection of the politicans and soldiers that ran the Alliance. They looked at Shepard with fear and concern.

"I tried to warn you but you ignored me. I bought us as much time as I could but you and the Citadel Council both squandered it." Shepard growled at them.

"What do we do? How do we fight them?"

"You put a gun in everyone's hands and tell them to fight to the last breath… to survive until the last drop of blood has been spilled because…" Shepard started to respond but suddenly, the whispers that had been quiet for so long turned into a roar.

The air suddenly felt heavy and the council turned as they stood up from their seats and looked out the window. A giant shadow was falling thorugh the clouds before the thick metal arms of a Reaper splashed into the bay. Shepard turned to run, Anderson already a step ahead but the whole room was consumed with fire. They both barely avoided getting hit with the table. Together, they escaped the office as everyone ran around in a blind panic. Anderson kept trying to hail the Normandy but the ship wasn't ready yet and with Reapers making planet fall… things were looking grim.

As they were cutting through a set of apartments, Shepard heard a rattling sound coming from behind her. Anderson had already slipped throught he door to scout ahead so she, cautiously, turned to investigate. She could hear something moving in the open vent. She carefully knelt down to peer inside, only to find a child hiding inside. It took a moment for her to recognize the young boy as one of the kids she saw playing in the park not an hour ago. The poor kid must have gotten separated from his family. He was lucky that he had survived the explosion the Reaper caused mere minutes ago.

"Hey, it's ok. I'm Alliance… its safe." She said in a soothing voice, holstering her pistol and reaching her hand out to him only to have the kid shy away from her.

"You can't save us." He replied, eyes wide with fear.

"It'll be ok kid. I can get you somewhere…"

"Shepard? You alright?" Anderson called, pushing the door open when he came back.

When she looked back into the vent, the kid was gone and the vent seemed darker than it had been before. Shepard got to her feet and slipped through the door. Anderson managed to hail the Normandy and arranged for the ship to pick them up nearby. They were back outside soon after and Shepard had to take a moment to take in what she saw. Destroyers were moving through the city, thick columns of smoke rising from everywhere. The explosion of a Dreadnaught being destroyed caused their rickety path to collapse and threw both her and Anderson down near the water. Reaper forces started crawling out of, seemingly, nowhere and they weren't just Husks. Shepard felt like there was a stone knotted in her intenstines when she saw that the Reapers had already converted batarians into their army. They held them off until the Normandy arrived but when Shepard boarded, Ashley greeting her in the cargo hold, she noticed Anderson did not.

"Captain. Come on!" She called.

"I can't Shepard. Someone's gotta stay here, rally what forces we have left… fight the Reapers. You need to get to the Council. Make them understand what's going on and help us." He told her, tossing Shepard her tags.

"No, my place is here, on Earth!" Shepard protested.

"You're the only one they may listen to. Get to the Citadel… do whatever it takes. I'm counting on you Commnder… we all are." Anderson retorted, leaving no room to protest.

"Fuck… Captain, don't you dare die on me." She replied, saluting him before the Normandy pulled away.

Shepard's attention shifted as she heard the whispers surge, a Reaper Destroyer emerging from between a pair of buildings, right in the path of an evacuation zone. Her heart dropped as she could only helplessly watch as the shuttles tried to take off, only to be mercilessly shot down.

_You can't save us…_

That little boy's words whispered at her ear and she jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, turning to find it was Ashley, giving her a worried look.

"You gonna be ok, Skipper?" She asked.

"No… I don't think I will be but we've got a job to do. Let's see what they've done with my ship." She replied grimly, heading with her to the elevator.

* * *

_The shadows were pressing down around her, seething and writhing like snakes… oozing across the ground like spilled blood. She leaned against the twisted black bark of a tree… or at least, it looked like a tree. It was so dark, the whispers all around her and shadows playing at the edge of her vision. She felt like she was being watched, thousands of eyes constantly pressing on her with relentlessly accussing stares._

_'You can't save us…'_

_'Everyone you know and love. Everyone you've ever met. Don't you understand? You will all die!'_

_Something caught her foot and she fell to the ground, scraped by rock and dirt. The shadows, however, instead of surging forward, retreated. She could see clearer but there was nothing there… nothing but the oppressive dark and the distant shadows. Then there was the blinding red light and that distinctive roar before she felt her skin burning…_

"Ah!" Shepard yelped as she snapped awake.

The lights suddenly popped on in response a moment later. Once Shepard was more aware of her surroundngs, she got up and looked around her room. The Alliance had been quite quick and eager to retrofit the SR-2 to their new standards. Like with the SR-1, it had been planned to be Captain Anderson's flag ship but instead, she was back in command of it. There was something ironic in that bit of déjà vu but Shepard was too tired and frustrated to think about it.

"Laura… are you alright? Your blood pressure is abnormally high. Should I contact Dr. Chakwas?" EDI asked.

"No. Just a bad dream. How long before we reach the relay?"

"A few hours. It took a bit of doing to get past the Reapears. They are attacking in force, Commander. I am… sorry about Earth." The ship replied.

"Ya… I am too."

"Commander, there is a call coming in from Admiral Hackett."

"Thanks. I'll be down in just a minute. I need to clean up."

Shepard took a cold shower and headed down stairs. The CIC deck had been completely refitted… most of the ship had. She had been amazed EDI had evaded them but, according to her and with Joker's help, she had pretended to be a VI to throw off the crew. It had fooled pretty much all but Samantha Traynor… her new Yeoman… well, the Communications Specialist was her official title but she had pretty much taken Kelly's job as her secretary. EDI patched the call through, Shepard relieved that the grizzled Admiral was alive. She told him about what happened on Earth and with Anderson. However, he needed her to make a stop at Mars. They had a research team combing through the Archives there but lost contact shortly before the Reaper invasion.

"Do you think there's going to be anything to find there?" Shepard asked, knowing that each second from now on meant more lives were being lost.

"We had a Prothean expert working with the team… your Prothean expert." He replied.

"Liara's there?! Shit… we'll head there immediately sir. I'll let you know the situation as soon as I am able but communications are going to be sparse. The Reapers are everywhere and gaining more and more control of the galaxy with each second. We cannot waste resources." Shepard replied.

"I understand. Keep me appraised when you can. I wish you luck with the Council… you're probably going to need it."

With the call over, Shepard wandered down to the cargo hold to meet James Vega. She had met the soldier briefly but alls he really knew about him was what he had done on Fehl Prime when the Collectors attempted to kidnap the colony. He had been her guard when she was arrested but the two had never talked. Shepard, at the time, had been too pissed to be friendly towards anyone. Hell, she still was a bit sore about the Alliance turning on her like it did but it hadn't been unexpected.

"Eh, Lola. Shit's gotten real, hasn't it? Didn't think the Reapers were real but… damn." He greeted.

"Ya, funny thing how I've been trying to tell people that for nearly four years and no one believed me until now. We… didn't really have the best introduction when we first met." She replied, fingers running through her hair again.

"No worries. You were pissed… I know how that feels. What happens now is what matters… but why are we going to the Citadel?" He asked.

"I've seen what it takes to kill one Reaper and we're going to need the support of all the fleets to even have a chance at taking Earth back… or any of the planets. I imagine Palaven, Thessia… everyone is suffering the same even though Earth is taking the brunt of the attack." Shepard sighed, already feeling the weight of the situation settling on her shoulders.

"Why Earth though?"

"We're a resource to the Reapers. Something about our DNA they deem worth preserving. The rest? Disposal but us… well, death's a more pleasant fate than being turned into one of them." Shepard sighed.

They talked for a bit longer before Shepard retired back to her room. Joker and EDI already had the new coordinates for Mars and Ashley and Vega were getting ready to assist her in the recon mission. She couldn't stop thinking about Liara being there. Did the Reapers attack Mars? Why would they? There wasn't a human colony there last she remembered, only the research center with the famous Prothean Archives. She couldn't get it out of her head that Liara was in danger, that she could be…

"No… Liara can take care of herself. She's the Shadow Broker after all. She's fine… she has to be." Shepard told herself.

"Is there anyone you wish me to contact, Shepard?" EDI asked her.

"Um… ya. Can you get a message out to Tevara, Rebheka, and my mother?" She replied, realizing she hadn't thought of them until EDI brought it up. God, did the Reapers attack the Citadel? Where was her mother deployed now? She knew Hannah had come out of retirement shortly after the Collectors were destroyed but they had lost touch with each other for a few months.

"I have sent a message to Tevara Ashan and Rebheka Ashan… would you like me to attempt establishing a call with Hannah Shepard?" EDI pressed.

"Ya, go ahead. See if you can get a hold of her."

After a few minutes of long, tense silence, Shepard's shoulers slumped. Maybe communications were cut off where-ever her mother was or… no, she couldn't think about that. Hannah was tough as nails. She'd be around SOMEWHERE.

"I apologize Commander but I am having trouble tracking down a way to contact her. Shall I send a message instead?" EDI told her after another five minutes of nothing.

"Ya… she's probably gone to ground or got herself in some mess, knowing her. I better get ready… we'll be at Mars soon." Shepard replied with a grateful smile.

"Within the next hour, Commander. I have already attempted to hail the research station but it appears their communicaitons are down. There is also a sandstorm brewing that may pose a danger to the mission."

"Oh good. I thought, for a second there, this was going to be easy."


	36. Shadows

_I don't have much in the way of notes for this but as always, thanks for the reviews, favs, follows, and views. It's very encouraging._

_Oh, also, for anyone into Dragon Age, I did post the first chapter of I Am The One (if you haven't seen it already)._

* * *

Liara panted heavily as she crawled through the vent, checking the display on her omni-tool for the map of the facility. This ventilation shaft should drop her off in the cargo bay… given her room to fight. Two Cerberus soldiers were following after her, clanging around quite loudly a few yards behind her. It was bad enough they had attacked her months earlier to try and take the ship… too bad they hadn't been expecting her to drop it right into the planet. Miscalculation on the Illusive Man's part… a mistake he would pay for dearly. She hadn't been able to get an SOS out since they had cut communications off as soon as the assault began. Liara had gotten reports from her agents that the Reapers had attacked Earth barely an hour ago. She worried about Shepard but right now… she was more concerned about getting out alive

She muttered a quick prayer of thanks as she got the grate but the soldiers were right behind her as she kicked it off. The asari yelped as a couple of shots ricocheted behind her before dropping out of the vent. She made a dash for the closest cover as the armored goons struggled to follow. By the time they got to the opening, Liara had ducked behind a stack of crates and threw a Singularity at the vent, catching both soldiers and leaving them helpless in the air before shooting them down. When they hit the ground, the laid there, gasping and struggling for their weapons as Liara approached, plugging each with a couple of shots to finish them off.

"Hold off Vega. She's one of ours." A familiar feminine voice said behind her as she heard footsteps.

The asari's heart jumped in elation a she turned and found herself face to face with her Commander. The armor she was in was shiny and new but the hallowed look in her eyes told her all she needed to know. Shepard had escaped Earth but at a heavy cost.

"Laura…" She breathed the name as the human wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled the asari right up against her.

The human's response was simply to kiss her, the gesture full of need and longing and a myriad of other emotions. She NEEDED the asari… now more than ever with the apocalypse weighing on her. Ashley, politely, cleared her throat loudly to interrupt them. Vega had a shocked look on his face.

"Should we go behind the crates in the back so you two can have some private time?" She joked.

"Shut it, Ash." Shepard growled vehemently as she pulled away from Liara, still sore about the conversation they had on the elevator earlier.

Ashley had pressed Shepard for information as to why Cerberus would be here but Shepard had cut all ties with them after the Collectors. She was extremely agitated that, even after everything she had done, the woman still doubted where her allegiances lay. However, they had other concerns. Cerberus had control of the facility, after the discovery Liara had made; a Prothean device intended to destroy the Reapers. They had sent an agent in shortly after Liara had arrived. Once the discovery had been made, Cerberus had been quick to kill the team and attempt stealing it. The auto-turret was the worst part but they got through despite the odds.

Reaching the archives took a great deal of effort and a lot of bodies but as soon as they arrived, they found that Dr. Eva Core had already downloaded and stole the information from the archives and they had to give chase. Shepard was pissed… she figured Ceberus would be a hinderance but they had moved fast, capitalizing on the chaose the Reapers would bring. There was something eerily familiar about this scenario that tickled at the back of her brain but she'd figure it out later. They needed to catch Dr. Eva.

Vega called in to warn them about the coming storm as they got out side but Eva was too far ahead, alredy jumping into her escape shuttle and trying to flee… only to have Vega ram their shuttle into it and send them both crashing back into the building. Panicked she had just lost a man, Shepard ran towards the wreck, only to find Vega picking himself up and, relatively, unharmed. Ashely and Liara had gone to investigate the wreckage of the Cerberus shuttle, only to be jumped by Dr. Eva… except she was not human. The wreck had damaged her disguise, revealing that the woman was not human at all, but a crafted machine made of tech one could only remotely compare to the Geth.

"Ashley!" Shepard screamed in horror Dr. Eva grabbed her and slammed the woman, repeatedly, into the shuttle, lifting her straight off her feet.

Liara's shot distracted her but Eva's attention focused on Shepard and she charged right at her. Pistol in hand, Shepard unloaded on her until the heat sink smoked. Dr. Eva collapsed, skidding to a halt a few inches shy but she left her there, running to Ashley's side. Through her visor, she could see blood seeping out of the woman's nose and bruising developing around her eyes. She was hurt… bad.

"Normandy! Get down here ASAP! Ash is hurt… really bad. Fuck… she's hurt bad." Shepard radioed, gently picking the woman up.

Vega and Liara retrieved Dr. Eva's body and the data she stole, deciding they could figure out what Cerberus was doing from her databanks. Shepard's concern was getting Ashley to the med bay. She moved as fast as she could to the medical bay, barking at anyone who got in her way. EDI had already appraised the medical officer but when they got her on the table and ran scans, it was not looking good. The Normandy wasn't equipped to handle the injuries Ashley sustained. They had to get her to a hospital.

* * *

When they arrived on the Citadel, Shepard escorted Ashley to Huerta Memorial Hosptial, despite protests from the medical team that greeted them at the dock. Her attention was focused on ensure that Ash got thorugh this… she felt like an ass for snapping at her on Mars now. When they got there, Shepard had to stay in the lobby. After a few tense hours, Dr. Chakwas came out to greet her.

"Chakwas. How… is Ash gonna…" She stammered, her throat getting a bit choked up.

"She's stable for now but it's going to be a bit touch and go from here on but she's in good hands Shepard. They'll take care of her." Dr. Chakwas assured her.

"Good… I can't lose her. I'm glad you're here, Dr. Chakwas." Shepard replied, looking mildly more relieved.

"Huerta has been good to me but I miss the Normandy. Working here has been quite different than a ship and, frankly, I kind of miss the adventure. I imagine things will only get worse here but… I feel I could do more helping you on your mission… since no doubt, you've been thrown into the middle of it all." Dr. Chakwas told her with a distant smile.

"I'd love to have you back on the Normandy. Joker, EDI, and Liara too. I'll make the arrangements, if you want to come back." Shepard offered to her.

"I'll see you soon then, Commander."

After hanging around the hospital for a few more minutes, Shepard went straight to Udina's office on the Presidium. The Councilor hadn't changed much at all but he had made the arrangments to get the Council together to listen to her for the billionth time on the matter. When she stood in that familiar hall, the center stage of so much conflict, she noticed they all looked a bit haunted.

"So… would it be presumptious of me to say 'I told you so' right now?" Shepard said in a sarcastic tone.

"It'd be well deserved." Liara muttered as she pulled up the information they had recovered from Mars.

The Prothean device… no one was sure what the hell it was supposed to do but it was their only hope against the Reapers. Their forces were scattered and crippled, they were unprepared… and they would have to pool all of their resources together if they wanted a chance at winning. However, as Shepard expected, the Council was going to take advantage and make her jump through hoops to get what was needed. Udina, of course, protested because Earth was under attack but Shepard's suspicions were correct; everyone's home worlds were feeling the brunt of the assault. The Reapers had targeted their centers of power and support and without them, they were just scrambling around like ants.

With her new assignment, find the turian primarch and rescue him so the war council can be convened, Shepard left but she wasn't eager to return to the ship just yet. She needed a moment to process everything that had just happened. She went to the Presidium Commons and sat down at the café, a glass of lemonade in front of her as she looked out at the balcony. It was eerie how calm it was here… like the galaxy wasn't under siege and everything was just fine. It unnerved her. She knew the Citadel was of Reaper construction but why… why had they left it alone? Trying to think about it made the whispers in the back of her head grow louder and she shrugged it off. Not feeling calm at all, Shepard abandoned her drink and returned to the Normandy.

She found Liara had settled into what used to be Miranda's offce. Monitors lined one wall and cables were all over the floor. Glyph was also there, greeting her warmly.

"How much of your network is still intact?" Shepard asked as she looked blankly at the data streams.

"Not as much as I need. The Reapers hit hard… and Cerberus attacking me didn't help. Feron and I grabbed what equipment we could before we sent the ship crashing. Illusive Man didn't expect that I'm sure. Feron does what he can but he's only one man." Liara replied, a small frown on her face.

When she looked up at Shepard, her expression changed to worry. The human looked exhausted and, according to EDI, hadn't slept much since they left Earth. She wondered if the human was still having nightmares and they hadn't seen each other in months… not since she got arrested. The whole affair about the destruction of the Bahka System had been embarrassing for Shepard but she had held her head high despite the slander she was slapped with.

"How… have you been holding up?" She asked tentatively.

"About the same I guess. Shit to do, galaxy gone to hell, Reapers are here… and everyone expects me to pull a miracle out of my ass. We don't even know for sure if this device will work. It seems too good to be true." Shepard replied, running her fingers through her hair in agitation.

Liara got up and moved toward her, pressing a hand gently against the woman's chest, feeling her heart beating harder than usual underneath flesh and bone. Her lips pursed into a thin line and a crinkle came to her brow as her concern grew. Shepard was stressed and tired and still trying to grieve. The human needed her right now.

"I'll be here with you." She whispered against the human's lips before kissing her.

The human tensed for a moment but as the asari gently nibbled on her bottom lip, arms around her neck and fingers tangled in her hair, massaging her scalp, Shepard just surrendered to her lover. Liara drew her to the desk, deciding to forgo the bed right now. The way Shepard had respond to her on Mars, the dark, hungry look in her eyes… her Commander need her now more than ever. She had so much to work out and Liara was going to help her with it.

"Surrender to me, Commander." She breathed in her ear, knowing that using the human's title aroused her.

Before Liara, Shepard would have never pegged herself as a submissive but Liara… she let the asari do whatever she wanted to her. Liara made her feel sane, safe… desired. She always seemed to know exactly what she needed at any given time. Melding so often had attuned them to each other but Liara always found ways to make her job feel less impossible, make her forget the dire situations they were facing for a few precious moments. The asari pushed her, gently, towards the desk and she sat on the edge, narrowly avoiding the stack of datapads a couple inches away. However, she had to brace her weight on her arms as Liara pressed into her, sending the stack toppling to the ground in a spread mess.

"Shit. Sorry, I…" Shepard started to say, words turning into a hiss as Liara fisted her hand in the woman's hair and pulled her head back, exposing the column of her throat to her lips and teeth.

"They're not important." Liara retorted, tone of her voice dropping a little.

Liara smirked a little as she watched the shiver that ran thorugh her lover's body, skin turning to gooseflesh. Her lips trailed along the puckered surgical scar on the right side of her jaw down to the line of her throat, teasing her pulse. Shepard's fingers curled against the edge of the desk as she endured the sweet torture, flames of desire burning through her blood. Shepard gasped as she felt the asari's hands slip under the hem of her shirt, warm touch against the small of her back. She didn't even notice Liara's eyes had gone black, only felt that familiar tingle of her reaching for her and the burning need to be connected come forth.

As soon as their minds linked, feelings and memories started to rush through them all a raging river… then suddenly, there was a surge of black and static noise that made Liara's head hurt and her ears ring, forcing her to break the link.

When the world came back into focus, she saw Shepard was clutching her head, a thin trail of blood leaking from her nose. That noise… she recognized what it was though she, personally, had not heard it in a long time. The feelings of dread, insecurity, and fear she had picked up from Shepard still swirled within her. Liara, gently pulled Shepard's hands away and looked her in the eye.

"How long?" She asked simply.

"Since… I'm not sure really." Shepard replied evasively, eyes cast down in shame.

"Laura, please." Liara pleaded, sinking down to one knee so the human couldn't avoid her gaze, holding her hand between her own.

"I… I don't know how bad it is but ever since I boarded that derelict Reaper, I kept hearing things… seeing things on the edge of my vision. Sometimes… I'd see Kaiden. It got worse after I was captured. I was exposed to Object Rho for… a couple days maybe?" Shepard explained wearily, shoulders slumping.

"Have you… told anyone?" She asked nervously.

"No… but I wonder if I should. What… what if I turn like Saren did? Miranda assured me that my implants aren't Reaper tech but… Liara, I'm scared. I hear their voices, I feel the shadows pressing around me constantly and I fear that I'll turn into Saren." She said, bottom lip trembling and eyes glassy all of a sudden.

"You can fight them Shepard… and you will not face them alone. I will be here to keep you safe, just as you have been there for me."

"But…"

"You are NOT Saren or Benezia or the Illusive Man. You have endured so much and it's unfair that the galaxy expects you to endure more but the Reapers will not have you. I won't let them." Liara replied.

"Liara… I'm a huge risk to this mission. I don't know to what extent they've influenced me. I could be sabatoging our efforts from here on in." Shepard whimpered.

"I don't believe that. If they truly had any hold on you, my love, they'd have used it by now. The Reapers wanted you alive… I always wondered about that. I believe they view you as an anomaly, something that they can't fully comprehend. You are our best chance against them." Liara replied, squeezing her hand in reassurance.

"You are oddly optimistic about this situation." Shepard commented, wiping the blood off her lip.

"I believe in you, Laura. You fight a war on two fronts but you don't have to fight it alone."

Shepard looked into Liara's eyes and knew the asari spoke the truth. She wasn't alone in this… Liara would stand with her. Her friends and comrades stood with her and soon, what they could salvage from the galaxy would stand with her. For some reason, that thought seemed to calm the worry eating at her about the situation. She had feared indoctrination since witnessing what it had done to Saren, Benezia, and the salarians on Virmire. There had been a news article the other day about the asari she had spared twice… she had been indoctrinated and killed several key leaders on Thessia before she was brought down. Though her exposure hadn't been as long as any of those unfortunate souls, Shepard had no idea how much was needed for the Reapers to burrow into her head. There was also the matter of melding with Liara… the backlash had been mild but Shepard feared now this revelation would hinder their relationship. The thought of losing that connection with her lover was distressing.

"Even if you're right… it's probably not safe for us to meld anymore."

"Do you trust me, Laura?" Liara asked in response to her question.

"Of course I do."

"Then, Embrace Eternity."

The meld was much gentler this time. The 'white noise' and dark shadows didn't go deep, much to their relief. Shepard's body went lax, her breath calmn, heart-rate slowing to a normal beat. The whispers were quiet, though as memories flowed between them, Liara saw the nightmares that plagued her lover. Visions of her death, of the death of her friends and loved ones… shadows taunting her with doubt and despair. Right now, Shepard needed to feel safe, comforted… inspired to bear the weight of her task until the end.

_*You are not alone… you will never be alone._

Liara took the human's hands in her own and, gentle, pulled her to her feet, leading her to the bed. Shepard stood there, a bit confused by what was going on. Liara gave her a gentle smile, telling Glyph to handle the data streams and any reporting agents while she was busy. She used the meld to fill her lover with good, sweet thoughts and emotions, letting her know that she was loved and cared for.

"Do you have anything of severe importance to tend to for a few hours?" the asari asked her with a sultry smile, pulling her jacket off.

"Uh… no… I don't think so. Maybe… um, EDI?" Shepard stammered.

"Yes Commander?" the ship replied.

"Is there anything that needs my immediate attention?"

"No. Specialist Traynor and I are more than adept with dealing with incoming reports from the Alliance and Council. I will inform the crew that you are indisposed. I will let you know when we are in Palaven space." EDI replied curtly before locking the door the room.

"Good. Now, come here Commander. I believe you need a little… inspiring." Liara purred, flushing a little at the thought of her plans.

"That was corny." Shepard teased, a smile spreading across her face.

"Tch, just get naked and on the bed, smart-ass."


	37. The Reach of Hell

_I am still huting for beta reader, but in the mean-time, I am trying to be a bit more careful with proof-reading my writing. Hopefully I catch more mistakes since I know the last few chapters might have been a bit error heavy._

* * *

As the Kodiak approached the surface, Shepard could only stare grimly at the scene before them. Reaper thralls were already assaulting the base as she and James picked them off before jumping down themselves, Liara following after them. After picking off the last few Husks, they entered the camp. She could feel the turians gawking at her, some sizing her up and others probably seeing a human for the first time in their lives.

"Dos mios… that's a Reaper?" James commented as his and Liara's attention were drawn to the massive machine in the distance.

"Yep, one of hundreds… maybe thousands and we gotta find a way to stop them." Shepard commented grimly.

"Commander. What's got a human SPECTRE way out here in this hell hole?" General Corinthus greets as they enter what appears the command center.

"I'm here to extract the Primarch for the war summit. Where is he?" She asked.

"Dead. Most of Palaven Command was destroyed during the initial invasion and when they tried to escape." Corinthus replied grimly.

"Well great. Who's in charge then?"

"Couldn't tell you. Our communications are down so we haven't been able to confirm who with what's left of Palaven Command. There's a comm tower we've been trying to reach for the past eighteen hours but the Reapers have been keeping us away. Damn things have turned some of our own into… them." He spat sourly, manibles twitching in anger.

"I'll deal with the tower. As soon as it's up, I want a name. Too much is riding on this." Shepard relayed to him before leaving the command center.

With the directions in her omni-tool and EDI's assistance over the comm channel, they found the disabled tower in question… crawling with husks. After clearing the initial infestation out, Liara went up to repair it while Shepard and James kept reinforcements at bay. Once the tower was back online, General Corinthus hailed Palaven Command and was able to get a name, calling Shepard and her team back to the camp. When they arrived, a familiar scarred face greeted them, dressed in silver and blue-trim armor.

"Shepard. Good to see you in one piece still. I'm sorry about Earth." He greeted as they clasped hands firmly.

"Same about Palaven. Everything's gone to shit, eh?" She retorted sarcastically.

"Well, we did try to warn them. Now we've got to clean up the mess again, right?" He chuckled.

"As long as you're cleaning it up with us Vakarian." Shepard replied with a broad grin, glad to have her trusted friend back at her side.

"Commander. I just got word back from Command about the Primarch. General Adrien Victus. He's not far from this position. Left with his men a couple hours ago to secure one of our air fields." Corinthus informed them.

"At least we're getting somewhere now. Alright…" Shepard started, only to have Joker interrupt her.

"Commander, there's something going on with the Normandy's systems. EDI's been really quiet too."

"Alright. Liara, you mind heading back to the ship, see what's going on with her?" Shepard asked the asari.

"Ya. Cortez, you mind coming to pick me up?" Liara replied, giving Shepard a quick peck on the cheek before she left with James and Garrus.

They were about to head off to Victus's last known position when Corinthus announced Reaper forces were on their way en masse to the airfield, they detoured to help reinforce that position. Shepard had expected the usual Husks and Cannibals but the Marauders were new. They were surprisingly quick and intelligent, one lunging on Shepard from above and knocking her to the ground, gun wretched from her grasp. Claws were at her throat, crushing her wind pipe and cutting off the flow of blood to her brain. She fought but as she stared into its multiple robatic eyes, jaw hanging open as that deep, pulsing sound vibrated in her skull, her vision was slipping out of focus.

_ The only hope of survival is to join with them._

"NEVER!" Shepard screamed, vision swimming as she pulled her knife and slammed it right into the Marauder's face. The thundering sound in her ears broke off in a moment of piercing static as it released its grasp. The blade broke as it twisted in its thrashing, the barriers on the Husks and Cannibals failing as the Maurader fell still. Shepard gagged and inhaled raggedly, glad to have air back in her lungs.

"Lola!" James called, running over and helping her to her feet.

"I'm alright. Shit... my fucking knife. That was my dad's…" Shepard lamented, looking at the ragged coupld of inches left on the hilt.

"Sorry about that. At least we've got a moment to…"

"LOOK OUT!" Garrus shouted, both aloud and over the comms.

The ground shook, nearly knocking the both of them to the ground as something landed a few feet behind them. Shepard turned to find what she couldn't only describe as an abomination. It was the massive body of a krogan, twisted and tripled in size by the Reapers except where there should have been a krogan's head was the top half of a turian's suspended on a ropy, metal neck.

"Oh fuck!" both Shepard and James muttered before diving out of the way of its massive fist.

Shepard ran for her gun, scooping the pistol up and rounding on the Brute as it turned after her. However, it was shrugging off bullets like a krogan would and pursued her as she jogged backwards. Out of options, she skidded to a halt and ran at it, the blade of her omni-tool coming out as she skidded right under its legs, narrowly avoiding being grabbed. The creature howled in a hauntingly mechanical voice as she cut deep into the back of its right calf, forcing it down on its knees. In those spare few moments, Garrus shot and took out of its eyes, stunning it and buying Shepard a few more seconds to recover and lunge onto its back. A strangled battlecry left her sore throat as she slammed the omni-blade down into its neck, cutting the turian head free from the body. The Brute suddenly went limp and pitched forward, throwing her off. She rolled twice before hitting the outcropping of rocks, knocking the breath from her lungs. The fight was over but Shepard, like so many fights before, felt exhausted as James helped her to her feet again.

"Fuck… they're hybridizing them too. I'd hate to see what they did with the asari." Garrus mumbled as he kicked the severed turian head away.

"I'd rather not think about it. Let's find the Primarch and get him out of here before Palaven Command has to keep digging down the line of succession." Shepard replied.

They find Primus alive, though he was completely unaware of his promotion. At first, he was reluctant to leave his men and not eager to serve as a politician but after a heated, short exchange, Shepard got him evacuated. The pair, along with Garrus, could only helpless watch as Palaven and its moon, Menae, retreated behind them as the Reapers continued to press on them.

Before they got to the Relay, the Normandy gave a massive jolt and the power flickered, followed by alarms blaring. Shepard was reminded of what happened with the Reaper IFF and the Collectors, wondering if the Reapers had managed to manipulate the hardware again.

"EDI! Status report." She called to the ship but got no answer.

"Commander, there's a fire in the AI Core room. EDI hasn't been responding either." Joker replied worriedly.

"I'll check it out. Garrus, get the Primarch settled in so we can start this war council." Sheprd ordered before heading to the core.

Worry gnawed at her, remembering the AI Core was where they stuck Dr. Eva's… well, body. Wasn't right to call it a corpse since it was a machince. The men she set on guard there had fire extinquishers, one passing his to her. She helped subdue the last licks of flames before passing the extinquisher back and pulling her pistol. A shiloutte emerged in the smoke.

"Halt Dr. Eva or I will put you down again!" Shepard called.

"It's alright, Commander. It's me." EDI replied as the smoke cleared and Dr. Eva was standing there… except it was EDI.

"EDI? Wait… did you take over Dr. Eva's body?"

"Yes. She fought back, causing the fire. However, I now have full control of this platform." The ship… woman… thing replied.

"Jesus… you could have given us a heads up at least." Shepard groaned, holstering her weapon.

"I apologize Commander. I was attempting to search her memory banks when I tripped a security trap. She fought back… and lost. I found an opportunity to take advantage of her platform, since she no longer was going to use it." EDI replied, admiring the fact that she now had fingers.

"That's… ok. Joker's gonna LOVE this when he sees you. So… what can you do with that body that you can't do as the ship?" She asked.

"I will be able to assist you more efficiently during field missions now. It also provides me the opportunity to have more personal communications with the crew on the ship." EDI replied.

Shepard looked her up and down and swallowed nervously. Great, now her ship had a 'human' body and she looked rather appealing. Cerberus had designed Dr. Eva rather well. She dismissed the two guards and ran her fingers through her hair. This was going to be fun to explain to the crew.

"Your heart rate has spiked, Commander… and your body temperature has increased in areas that indicate arousal. Does my form appeal to your attraction in females?" EDI asked in question.

"What? No! I don't… fuck EDI, don't scan me without permission." Shepard stammered in surprise, face and ears turning red.

"I apologize, I was just concerned. Your heart-rate has been abnormally high since we left Earth, indicating extreme stress… more than a normal human would be able to bear for long periods of time. The sudden change intrigued me."

"I'm not a normal human, remember? I better get to my meeting. Try not to set yourself on fire again, ok? And… take it easy with the crew. That body nearly killed Ashley so they might be a bit apprehensive at first." Shepard warned with a heavy sigh.

"I understand. I will exercise caution in my interactions with the crew." EDI replied before leaving.

Shepard watched her leave, eyes focused a little too much on the sway of EDI's hips as she left the room. She could hear the gasps of some of the crewmen before the door hissed shut. She stood there, processing what had just happened. A humorless chuckle left her as she shook her head.

"Awesome, now my ship can walk around on her own and has a hot body. I'll never hear the end of Joker's gloating." She mumbled to herself as she left the AI Core.

* * *

The Normandy arrived at the Annos Basin, intended to be used as a neutral meeting ground for the war summit between the humans, salarians, krogan, turians, and asari… though the asari councilor was attending via holo. Shepard was the 'mouth piece' for the Alliance, since Hackett was busy putting together the Crucible Project. Negotiations were not going well…

"If the turians want our help, again, then we need something more than empty promises. We want the cure for the genophage." Wrex growled at the Primarch and Dalatross.

"Impossible. There's simply no time or resources." The Dalatross protested.

"HA! I KNOW you've found it. You kidnapped some of our females and took them to your home planet. I know one of them is alive… that she's the key to saving my people. If you don't fork her over, we're not helping anyone." Wrex growled.

"You have no proof!"

Wrex pulled up a shaky vid of the interior of a lab. Whoever was recording it was doing it in a way so they weren't discovered. The focus was on a clear cell, where there appeared to be a krogan hunched over inside, weak but alive. The Dalatross's face went livid but Sheaprd smoothed things over a bit, insisting that they would extract the krogan female and get the krogans what they wanted. Begrudingly, she needed the turians to help with the attack on Earth.

After the meeting was over, Shepard wandered back to the command center, only to have Traynor intercept her with an importan message. Cerberus had taken Eden Prime and it seemed another Prothean Artifact had been discovered. Hackett worried that the artifact might have a connection to the beacon that started this all… or the Crucible, since Cerberus had attempted to steal that data as well. Shepard decided this was more immediate than heading to Sur'kesh and told EDI to change their course plans immediately… a decision Wrex took notice of when he caught a glance at the map.

"Why aren't we going to Sur'kesh?" He growled testily.

"Something came up. Cerberus took Eden Prime… there's a Prothean artifact we need to secure." She told him.

"And that can't wait? Shepard, I don't trust that Salarian. They could kill her!" He snarled.

"You have someone on the inside. They'll keep her safe. However, this artifact could be crucial to the Crucible so it's marginally more important. Don't worry Wrex, we'll get you your cure. How's Tuchunka?" She asked, diverting the subject to keep the krogan calm.

"Still a barren dust ball. The Reapers showed up but not at the force I heard that hit Earth. Sorry about your homeworld Shepard. Liara said you were down there when they showed up."

"Ya. Leaving hurt… it hurt alot. Anderson's still down there… rallying what forces he can to fight them but they're losing bad, real bad." Shepard sighed wearily, the thought of it exhausting.

"We'll get through this. We have the Crucible." He told Shepard, patting her on the back.

"We don't even know what the damn thing does. I just hope it's the solution we need. I need to get some rest before we reach Eden Prime. You gonna join us? Stick it sideway to a few Cerberus goons?" She replied hopefully.

"Sure. I don't like all this standing around anyway. The salarian makes my crest itch uncomfortably." He nodded in reply.

Shepard headed back to her quarters and sat down on the edge of her bed. She thought of calling Liara up to join her, but figured the asari was busy with what reports she was getting in from her surviving agents. So much was going on… Shepard flopped onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her armor was sitting on its stand in the corner, already scuffed and nicked from Earth and Palaven. The sand in the hourglass was running out and Shepard had no idea how they were going to make it in time. In that silence, the whispers teased at her ears, the shadows crept just out of sight… she could feel the pressure at the base of her skull ebb and throb. Though Liara had been certain the Reapers had no hold on her, they could still reach her… taunt her. She feared closing her eyes, knowing the visions that awaited her.

Sometimes, she dreamed of the kid she saw on Earth. Other times, she was crumbling to dust on Akuze… but they all lead to the darkened forest full of whispers and shadows that chased her relentlessly until the Reapers' gaze caught her and burned her to ash. Each time, she woke shaking and sweaty, sometimes crying. The worst visions were when she was forced to watch Liara burn, held by the shadows as her lover was reduced to cinders before her eyes, though the dream often ended in different way, mostly with her own death following.

"Fuck… if there was a hell, this would be it."


	38. A Notice, Thank You, and Apology

If you are reading this, I am SO sorry for getting your hopes up but this is not an update for Scars. This is a notice to all you faithful readers and fans who have shown great support and interest in this story, which I will always appreciate.

In the past eight or so months (probably way longer), I have spent reworking the story based on some better developed ideas I had as well as some of the great, critical feedback I've gotten from reviewers. The story's original tone and pace evolve into something that no longer truly represented what it started out as and it felt unfair if I destroyed out right.

So, this will remain here but Scars, in this state, will no longer be updated. Instead, the new redraft has been uploaded as Scars: Novo. This original will remain as an archive for those who enjoyed and for anyone interested in drawing a comparison between the two.

Again, thank you for your patience and support and I hope some of you will enjoy the new writing.


End file.
